TO STUDY

THE EARTH’S
MAGNETIC FIELD
 INDEX
S.No CONTENTS PAGE
NO.

1. AIM OF THE PROJECT 1

2. INTRODUCTION 2

3. MATERIALS REQUIRED 7

4. THEORY 8

5. CIRCUIT DIAGRAM 10
OBSERVATION AND
6. CALCULATIONS 12

7. GRAPH AND RESULT 13

8. PRECAUTIONS 14

9. FACTS 15

10. APPLICATIONS 16
11. BIBLIOGRAPHY 17
 AIM OF THE PROJECT
#To study the earth's
magnetic field using a
compass needle -bar
magnet by plotting
magnetic field lines and
tangent galvanometer
 INTRODUCTION

Earth's magnetic field, also known as the

geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends
from the Earth's interior to where it meets the solar
wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from
the Sun. Its magnitude at the Earth's surface ranges
from 25 to 65 microteslas (0.25 to 0.65 gauss).
Roughly speaking it is the field of a magnetic dipole
currently tilted at an angle of about 10 degrees with
respect to Earth's rotational axis, as if there were a
bar magnet placed at that angle at the center of the
earth. Unlike a bar magnet, however, Earth's magnetic
field changes over time because it is generated by a
geodynamic (in Earth's case, the motion of molten
iron alloys in its outer core).

The North and South magnetic poles wander widely,

but sufficiently slowly for ordinary compasses to
remain useful for navigation. However, at irregular
intervals averaging several hundred thousand years,
the Earth's field reverses and the North and South
magnetic Poles relatively abruptly switch places.
These reversals of the geomagnetic poles leave a
record in rocks that are of value to paleomagnetists in
calculating geomagnetic fields in the past. Such
information in turn is helpful in studying the motions
of continents and ocean floors in the process of plate
tectonics.
The magnetosphere is the region above the
ionosphere and extends several tens of thousands of
kilometers into space, protecting the Earth from the
charged particles of the solar wind and cosmic rays
that would otherwise strip away the upper
atmosphere, including the ozone layer that protects
the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Earth's magnetic field serves to deflect most of the

solar wind, whose charged particles would otherwise
strip away the ozone layer that protects the Earth
from harmful ultraviolet radiation. One stripping
mechanism is for gas to be caught in bubbles of
magnetic field, which are ripped off by solar winds.

The intensity of the field is often measured in gauss

(G), but is generally reported in nanoteslas (nT), with 1
G=100,000 nT. A nanotesla is also referred to as a
gamma (γ). The tesla is the SI unit of the Magnetic
field, B.
The field ranges between approximately 25,000 and
65,000 nT (0.25-0.65 G).

Near the surface of the Earth, its magnetic field

can be closely approximated by the field of a
magnetic dipole positioned at the center of the
earth and tilted at an angle of about 10° with
respect to the rotational axis of the Earth. The
dipole is roughly equivalent to a powerful bar
magnet, with its South Pole pointing towards the
geomagnetic North Pole. The north pole of a
magnet is so defined because, if allowed to rotate
freely, it points roughly northward (in the
geographic sense). Since the north pole of a
magnet attracts the south poles of other magnets
and repels the north poles, it must be attracted to
the South Pole.
TANGENT GALVANOMETER

#Principle
The tangent galvanometer works on the principle of
tangent law
● Tangent law of Magnetism
○ The tangent law of magnetism states that the
tangent of the angle of a compass needle
which is due to the movement under the
influence of magnetic field is directly
proportional to the ratio of strengths of two
perpendicular magnetic fields.
○ In simpler words, the tangent of the angle
made by the moving needle under the
magnetic field directly indicates the strength
of the perpendicular magnetic fields.

● Definition
Tangent galvanometer is the device which was
used to measure small amounts of electric
current.
#Construction
● The working of tangent galvanometer is based
on the principle of tangent law of magnetism.
● It consists of a coil of insulated copper wire
wound on a circular non-magnetic frame.
● It is utmost necessary that the coil wound is
done in helical arrangement otherwise, the
field due to the wire will affect the compass
needle, thus inducing an error in the reading.
● This frame is mounted vertically on a
horizontal base for support.
● The coil of insulated copper wire is usually
rotated on a vertical axis passing through its
centre.
● A small sized magnetic compass with a
powerful magnetic needle is made to pivote at
the centre of this coil, such that it is free to
rotate in a horizontal plane.
● The circular scale is used to read the
movement of this magnetic needle which is
divided into four quadrants, cach ranging from
0° to 90°
● A pointer is attached to this needle at right
angles, usually made up of thin aluminium as
aluminium is lighter in mass.
● The usual way of discarding possibilities of
parallax is also used i.e placing of a plane
mirror below the compass needle.
#Working
● The instrument needle starts moving firstly
under the influence of Earth's magnetic field.
● Movement continues until the magnetic field of
earth is parallel with the plane of coil.
● Then, on application of an unknown current, a
second magnetic field on the axis of the coil
which is perpendicular to the Earth's magnetic
field is created.
● Hence the compass needle responds to the
vector sum of the two fields.
● This deflection angle is equal to the tangent of
the ratio of those two fields.

#APPARATUS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED

➤ Tangent Galvanometer (TG),
➤Commutator (C),
➤ Rheostat (R),
➤ Battery (E),
➤ Ammeter (A),
➤ Key (K),
 THEORY
Tangent galvanometer is an early measuring
instrument for small electric currents. It consists of a
coil of insulated copper wire wound on a circular
non-magnetic frame. Its working is based on the
principle of the tangent law of magnetism. When a
current is passed through the circular coil, a magnetic
field (B) is produced at the center of the coil in a
direction perpendicular to the plane of the coil. The
working of tangent galvanometer is based on the
tangent law. It is stated as when a magnet is
suspended freely in magnetic field F and H, the
magnet comes to rest making an angle ) with the
direction H such that,
Eq 1: FH tan 0

When a bar magnet is suspended in two Magnetic

fields B and Bh, it comes to rest making an angle
→ with the direction of Bh.
Let a current I be passed through the coil of
radius R, having turns N. Then magnetic field
produced at the centre of coil is,
Eq 2: F = μ0 2πΙΝ
4πR
Let H is the horizontal component of earth's magnetic
field and the magnetic needle comes to rest at angle θ
with the direction of H, then according Eq. (1),

H tanθ =μο 2πΙΝ

4π R

H tanθ = 10^-7 2πΙΝ

R

Eq 3 : Η = 2π×10 ΙΝ
Rtanθ

by substituting the value of current I, from eq. (3),

Eq 4: tanθ 1 = μο 2πΝ
4π RH
radius of coil of galvanometer R, deflection 6 and N,
the value of H can be calculated.

#PROCEDURE:-
Connections are made as shown in the figure given
below, where K is the key, E the battery, A the
ammeter, R the rheostat, C the commutator, and T.G
the tangent galvanometer. The commutator can
reverse the current through the T.G coil without
changing the current in the rest of the circuit. Taking
the average of the resulting two readings for
deflection averages out, any small error in positioning
the T.G coil relative to the earth's magnetic field H.
 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

#PROCEDURE FOR PERFORMING THE EXPERIMENT

1. Make the circuit connections in accordance with

the circuit diagram.

2. Using spirit level, level the base and the compass

needle in compass box of tangent galvanometer by
adjusting the leveling screw.

3. Now rotate the coil of the galvanometer about its

vertical axis, till the magnetic needle, its image in the
plane mirror fixed at the base of the compass box
and the coil, i.c.all

4. These three lie in the same vertical plane.

5. In this setting, the ends of the aluminium pointer

should read zero-zero. If this is not so, rotate the box
without disturbing the position of the coil till at least
one of the ends of the pointer stands at the zero
marks.
6. By closing the key K, the current flow in the
galvanometer. Read the both ends of the pointer. Now
reverse the direction of current by using the reversing
key. When the mean values of both deflections shown
by the pointer in the two cases (i.e. before and after
reversing the current) differ by more than 1º, then turn
slightly the vertical coil until the two values agree.
This will set the plane of the coil exactly in the
magnetic meridian.

7. By adjusting the rheostat, bring the deflection in

galvanometer around 45°. The deflection should not
be outside the range (30°-60°).

8. Record the reading of the ammeter and the

deflection of the compass needle in the box shown by
two ends of pointer on the scale.

9. Reverse the current in the coil of galvanometer and

again record the current and deflection of needle.

10. By changing the value of current, take four or more

set of readings and plot the graph between I and tane.
The graph will be a straight line.

11. Measure the inner and the outer diameter of the

coil with a half metre scale at least three times.
OBSERVATION AND CALCULATION

Table 1. For variation of θ with I

Table 2. For radius of tangent Galvanometer

 #GRAPH AND RESULT
Mean radius of coil R = 8.04 * 10 ^ - 2

Slope of straight line = BC

AC
m = tanθ
I
Now substitute the m in Eq. (4),
m = μ0 2πΝ
4π RH
Then, H=7.6867 x 10 T

#RESULT
The value of earth's magnetic field by using a tangent
galvanometer is,
H = 7.6867 × 107
#PRECAUTIONS

1. The battery should be freshly charged.

2. The magnetic needle should swing freely in

the horizontal plane.

3. The plane of coil must be set in magnetic

meridian.

4. There should be no parallax in noting down

the readings of ammeter and deflection.

5. All the readings should be adjusted between

30° and 60°.

#SOURCES OF ERROR

1. There may a magnetic material around

apparatus.

2. The plane of coil will not be exactly in the

magnetic meridian.
#FACTS

The tangent galvanometer is an early

measuring instrument for Current

➤ The magnetic field produced by a circular

coil carrying current I is Proportional to I.

➤ The S.I unit of magnetic field is Tesla.

➤ The magnitude of horizontal intensity of

earth's magnetic field is3.5x10^-5 T.

➤ For better result while doing tangent

galvanometer experiment, the deflection
should be in between 30°-60º.

➤ The value of με is 4x107 ΝΑ^-2.

#APPLICATIONS

● T.G. can be used to measure the

magnitude of the horizontal component
of the geomagnetic field.

● The principle can be used to compare the

galvanometer constants.

● For calibration of secondary

instruments.
#BIBLIOGRAPHY

➤ Tangent Galvanometer (Procedure):

Comprehensive Physics Activities Volume I: Laxmi
Publications Pvt Ltd.

➤ Tangent Galvanometer (Theory): Comprehensive

Physics Activities Volume I: Laxmi Publications Pvt
Ltd.

➤Tangent Galvanometer (Precautions and Sources

of error): Comprehensive
Physics Activities Volume I: Laxmi Publications Pvt
Ltd.

➤Galvanometer:
http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyApparatus/Electric
al_Measurements/Tangent_Galvanometer/Tangen
t_Galvanometer.html

➤Galvanometer: Wikipedia, the free

encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvandometer