Magnetic Fields

Introduction and Theory:

Surrounding a magnet there is a magnetic field. The magnetic field is analogous to the electric field that
exists in the space around electric charges. Like the electric field, the magnetic field has both a
magnitude and a direction. The direction of the magnetic field at any point in space is the direction
indicated by the north pole of a small compass needle placed at that point.
In 1819 a Danish physicist, Hans Christian Oersted, discovered the effect of a current on a compass
needle. This led to the theory of what we know today as electromagnetism. Before that time, electricity
and magnetism were thought of as distinct phenomena having no connection.
Since electric current is a flow of charge the behavior of a compass needle in the presence of current
carrying elements indicates that moving charges produce magnetic field. For a loop of wire
consisting of N turns wound close together to form a flat coil with a single radius R, the magnetic field
resembles the pattern of a short bar magnet, and at the center of the coil its magnitude is
(

(1)

where 0 is the permeability of free space (4 10-7 Tm/A) and I is the current in the coil. If the
current is expressed in amperes (A), and the radius in meters (m), the unit of magnetic field strength is
Tesla (T).
In many situations the magnetic field has a value considerably less than one Tesla. For example, the
strength of the magnetic field near the earths surface is approximately 10 -4 T. The more convenient
unit of magnetic field strength is a gauss (1 gauss = 10-4 T).
The direction of the magnetic field at the center of the wire loop can be determined with the help of
RIGHT-HAND-RULE. If the thumb of the right hand is pointed in the direction of the current and the
curled fingers are placed at the center of the loop, the fingers indicate the direction of the magnetic
field.
For a square coil equation (1) has a slightly different constant. In this case the formula for the magnetic
field in the center of the coil is:
(
where a is

(2)

of the side of the square in meters.

Comparing equation (1) and equation (2) one can notice that there is only about 10 % difference (the
factor

is replaced by the factor

= 0.45).

Objectives:
To study magnetic fields generated by a square shape current carrying coil.
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Equipment:
Computer interface with current and magnetic field sensors; DC power supply; square shape coil unit
(20 turns) with a compass mounted in the center.
Science
Workshop
Interface
Channel A
Power
Supply

Tangent
galvanometer
(coil)

+
I

Figure 1. Tangent Galvanometer the experiment circuit.

Procedure:
Measure the length of the side of the coil. The square coil unit has a compass mounted in the middle.
With no current applied to the coil, the compass responds only to the horizontal component of the
earths magnetic field.
Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 1. Position the coil first so that the compass points
perpendicular to the plane of the coil. Cause a current to pass through the coil and observe the behavior
of the compass. Now turn the coil 180o around and again apply a current to the coil. Note the
compasss reaction and determine the direction of the magnetic field produced by the coil.
Position the coil unit in such a way that the compass needle points parallel to the plane of the coil.
Increase the current and observe the deflection of the needle. The compass needle aligns itself in the
direction of a net magnetic field, which is a vector sum of the horizontal component of the earths
magnetic field and the field generated by the coil (Figure 2).
Bnet

Bearth

Bcoil
Figure 2. Vector representation of magnetic fields.
Open the pre-set experiment file as directed on the whiteboard. Take measurements of the needle
deflection angle with the plane of the coil vs. current I in the coil. In Graphical Analysis make a plot
of vs. I. Is this graph linear? Now, plot tan vs. I (be sure the preferences in GA are set for angles in
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degrees). From Fig. 2 we have tan = Bcoil /Bearth. Since Bcoil is expected to be proportional to the
current in the coil, so tan = I/Bearth. This can be rewritten as
tan = M I

(3)

where M = /Bearth = constant.

Because of the above relationship this piece of equipment is called a tangent galvanometer. Note that
for = 45o (tan = 1), Bcoil = Bearth. Apply regression to your plot tan vs. I and determine the value
of I corresponding to the Bcoil = Bearth (Figure 3). Using equation (2) determine the value of horizontal
component of the earths magnetic field.
Now we will make direct measurements of the magnetic field strength in the center of the coil vs.
current in the coil using a Hall Effect sensor. This is a very sensitive unit ready to measure fields in the
range of only a few gauss. For the experiment conditions the detector sensitivity has to be set to 100.

Figure 3. Tangent galvanometer analysis.

The sensor measures the B field perpendicular to the white dot in either the axial or radial direction. So,
select the sensor axial orientation and place the sensor in the middle of the coil with the long axis of the
sensor perpendicular to the plane of the coil. The needle of the compass should be positioned
perpendicular to the plane of the coil and not flip around when the current is applied. The compass
needle is made of magnetic material and when it turns it produces a changing component of magnetic
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field, which affects your measurements adding undesirable nonlinearity. Such situation has to be
avoided.
The sensor has a zero offset and the reading at no current does not necessarily indicate the value of the
ambient field.

Figure 4. Sample recording in Data Studio of magnetic field measurements vs. current in the coil.
The pre-set experiment file is preset to record magnetic field measured by the sensor as a function of
current in the coil. With no current in the circuit (power supply off, voltage adjustment knob at 0) press
Start in the experiment file, then Tare on the magnetic fields sensor, next turn on the power supply
and slowly keep increasing the output voltage from the power supply. Stop the data acquisition at I
0.95 A. Apply the linear fit to your data and compare the slope with the theoretically predicted value
from equation (2). See Figure 3.
Final conclusion:
State the value of the measured horizontal component of the ambient magnetic field at your lab station.
Do your experimental findings support equation (2)? How does the magnetic field of a coil depend on
the current in the coil?

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