VELAMMAL VIDHYASHRAM

SURAPET

PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

ON

TANGENT GALVANOMETER

NAME : VISHNU. P
CLASS : 12AB
ROLL NUMBEr :
bh12ab09

SSCE -2022 -2023

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that, VISHNU. P of class XII AB has successfully

completed the project on the topic TANGENT GALVANOMETER
under the guidance of Mrs. RAJAMANI DEVI S.K in partial fulfillment
of physics practical examination conducted by SSCE, CBSE, New
Delhi for the academic year 2023 – 2024.

Signature of teacher in charge Signature of Internal Examiner

Signature of Principal Signature of External Examiner

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 In the accomplishment of this project successfully, many people
have best owned upon me their blessings and the heart pledged
support. So I am utilizing this opportunity to thank all the people
who have been concerned with my project.

Primarily I would like to thank God almighty for giving me the

strength, knowledge and good health to complete this project with
success.

Then I would like to thank our Principal Mrs. SONIYA JUBYfor

her continuous support and our physics teacher MRS.RAJAMANI
DEVI S.K whose whole hearted guidance helped me to patch this
project and make it full proof success. The suggestions and
instructions given by them served as the major contribution to the
completion of this project.

Then I would like to thank my parents and friends who have helped
me with their valuable suggestions and
guidance, which has been helpful in various phases of the
completion of this project.

Last but not the least I would like to thank my classmates who have
helped me a lot.
 TABLE OF CONTENT

S NO. TOPICS PAGE NO.

1 Introduction

2 Aim

3 Materials required

4 Circuit diagram

5 Application

6 Procedure

7 Observation Table

8 Result
 9 Conclusion

10 Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

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.
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.
AIM

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 innanoteslas (nT), with 1 G= 100,000 nT. A nanotesla is also
referred to as a gamma (y). 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

1. To determine the reduction factor of the given tangent galvanometer

(K).

2. find out the horizontal component of earth’s magnetic field (Bh).

MATERIALS REQUIRED
• Accumulator
• Rheostat
• Ammeter
• Commutator
• Tangent Galvanometer
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
APPLICATION
• Tangent Galvanometer 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.
A tangent galvanometer is an early measuring instrument used for the
measurement of electric current.
It works by using a compass needle to compare a magnetic field
generated by the unknown current to the magnetic field of the Earth.
It gets its name from its operating principle, the tangent law of
magnetism. Which states that the tangent of the angle a compass needle
makes is proportional to the ratio of the strengths of the two
perpendicular magnetic fields.
It was first described by Claude Pouillet in 1837.
A tangent galvanometer consists of a coil of Insulated copper wire
wound on a circular non-magnetic frame.
The frame is mounted vertically on a horizontal base provided with
leveling screws. The coil can be rotated on a vertical axis passing
through its centre.
A compass box is mounted horizontally at the centre of a circular scale.
It consists of a tiny, powerful magnetic needle pivoted at the centre of
the coil.
The magnetic needle is free to rotate in the horizontal plane. The circular
scale is divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant is graduated from 0°
to 90°.
A long thin aluminium pointer is attached to the needle at its centre and
at right angle to it. To avoid errors due to parallax, a plane mirror is
mounted below the compass needle.
In operation, the instrument is first rotated until the magnetic field of the
Earth, indicated by the compass needle, is parallel with the plane of the
coil.
Then the unknown current is applied to the coil. This creates a second
magnetic field on the axis of the coil, perpendicular to the Earth's
magnetic field.
The compass needle responds to the vector sum of the two fields, and
deflects to an angle equal to the tangent of the ratio of the two fields.
From the angle read from the compass's scale, the current could be
found from a table.
The current supply wires have to be wound in a small helix, like a pig's
tail, otherwise the field due to the wire will affect the compass needle
and an incorrect reading will be obtained.
A tangent galvanometer can also be used to measure the magnitude of
the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field.
When used in this way, a low-voltage power source, such as a battery, is
connected in series with a rheostat, the galvanometer, and ammeter.
The galvanometer is first aligned so that the coil is parallel to the
geomagnetic field, whose direction is indicated by the compass when
there is no current through the coils.
The battery is then connected and the rheostat is adjusted until the
compass needle deflects 45 degrees from the geomagnetic field,
indicating that the magnitude of the magnetic field at the center of the
coil is the same as that of the horizontal component of the geomagnetic
field.
This field strength can be calculated from the current as measured by the
ammeter, the number of turns of the coil, and the radius of the
PROCEDURE

The circuit is made as shown in the diagram. The plane of the coil
is made vertical by adjusting the leveling screws.
The plane of the coil is made by adjusting the leveling screws. The plane
of the coil is made parallel to (90-90) in the compass box.
The whole T.G is rotated to read (0-0) at the ends of the aluminum
pointer. Now the plane of the coil is in the magnetic meridian.
The Commutator keys are put. The rheostat should be adjusted for
deflection in T.G between 10 and 60. For a current 1, the deflections of
the pointer 0 & 02 are noted.
The Commutator is reversed. The deflections of the pointer 0) & 0 are
noted. The average of the four readings is the deflection 0. From the
theory of the T.G, I-K tano.

By varying the current the experiment is repeated. Using a string the

circumference of the coil is measured.
Hence its radius r is found. Let n be the number of turns of the coil. The
horizontal intensity at the place is given by. B₁ = Honk/2r
OBSERVATION TABLE
RESULT
1. The reduction factor of T.G. K =0.19682 A
2. Horizontal Intensity at the place, B= 7.6867×10 T

USES
It helps in investigating the magnetic field at the central
portion of a loop of wire that carries current.
Facilitates the verification of the right-hand rule for the field inside the
current loop

It makes possible the investigation of the vector nature of magnetic

fields and it helps in understanding how they add vectorially.

One can easily verify the relationship between the magnetic field inside
the current loop, the current itself, and the number of turns with a
tangent galvanometer. Here, the Earth’s field is used as a reference.

It helps in the determination of the accurate strength of the magnetic

field of the Earth.

CONCLUSION

Experiment in tangent galvanometer gives the reduction factor of

galvanometer and horizontal intensity of Earth’s magnetic field.
The tangent galvanometer refers to a device that facilitates the
measurement of current according to the principle of tangent law.
It helps in the measurement of the presence, direction, and power of the
currents.
These instruments have the following main parts- a vertical copper wire,
a circular frame, and a compass needle in the middle.
In the year 1834, J.J. Nervander designed this instrument. It was more
sensitive than the electromagnetic galvanometer.
There are various uses of tangent galvanometer pertaining to electric
current and magnetic field.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.slideshare.net/dhananjaydhiman/
physicsinvestigatory-project-class-12-tangent-galvanometer
https://www.academia.edu/19973713/Physics_Investigatory_
Project_Class_12_Tangent_Galvanometer_
https://www.scribd.com/document/367249058/PhysicsInvesti
gatory-Project-XII-Tangent-Galvanometer
https://www.seminarsonly.com/EngineeringProjects/Physics/
tangent-galvanometer.php