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.

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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 pivot 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, each 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.

APPLICATION
1. T.G. can be used to measure the magnitude of the horizontal component of the geomagnetic
field.
2. The principle can be used to compare the galvanometer constants.
3. For calibration of secondary instruments.

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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. It is stated that
when a magnet is suspended freely in magnetic field F and H, the magnet comes to rest making an
angle θ with the direction H such that:

Eq 1: F = H tan θ

When a bar magnet is suspended in two Magnetic fields B and Bh, it comes to rest making an angle θ
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 2πIN) / (4πR)

Eq 3: H = (2π × 10⁻⁷ IN) / (R tan θ)

Eq 4: tan θ = I = (μ₀ 2πN) / (4π R H)

With known values of coil radius R, deflection θ, and number of turns N, the value of H can be
calculated.

PROCEDURE
Connections are made as shown in the figure 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.

OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS

Slope of straight line = BC / AC = tan θ / I

Substituting into Eq. (4): m = (μ₀ 2πN) / (4π R H)

Then, H = 7.6867 × 10⁻⁵ T

RESULT The value of earth’s magnetic field by using a tangent galvanometer is: H = 7.6867 × 10⁻⁵ T

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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 be magnetic material around apparatus.
2. The plane of coil will not be exactly in the magnetic meridian.