Project Physics
Project Physics
Project Physics
Table of contents
AIM
The aim of the project is to study the Earth’s magnetic field and find its
value (BH) using a tangent galvanometer.
TANGENT GALVNOMETRE
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 center.
• A small sized magnetic compass with a powerful
magnetic needle is made to pivot at the center 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
magneticneedle which is divided into four quadrants, each
ranging from 0° to90°.
• A pointer is attached to this needle at right angles,
usually made upof thin alluminium as alluminium 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 ofEarth's magnetic field.
• Movement continues untill the magnetic field of earth is
parallelwith the plane of coil.
• Then, on application of an uknown current, a second
magnetic fieldon the axis of the coil which is
perpendicular to the Earth's magneticfield is created.
• Hence the compass needle responds to the vector sum of
the twofields.
• This deflection angle is equal to the tangent of the ratio
of those twofields.
APPLICATIONS
1. T.G. can be used to measure the magnitude of the
horizontal componentof the geomagnetic field.
2. The principle can be used to compare the galvanometer
constants.
3. For calibration of secondary instruments
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 TG is arranged in such a way
that the horizontal component of earth’s
magnetic field (Bh) is in the direction of the
plane of the coil. The magnetic needle is then
under the action of two mutually
perpendicular fields. If θ is the deflection of
the needle, then according to tangent law,
Let I is the current passing through the coil of
radius a with n turns, then the field generated
by the current carrying circular coil is,