SINHGAD TECHNICAL EDUCATION SOCIETY’S

SINHGAD SPRING DALE PUBLIC SCHOOL

Vadgaon(bk):-411041
Senior Secondary

NAME : Tanushree Rahul Kane

STANDARD : XII - B

ROLL NUMBER : 26

SUBJECT : Physics

SUBMISSION TO : Mrs. Jyoti Deore

 INDEX

SR.NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

1 Acknowledgement 4

2 Aim (Objective) 5

3 Materials Required 6

4 Theory 7

5 Construction 9

6 Working 10

7 Sensitivity of moving coil 12

galvanometer

8 Limitations to increase 13
sensitivity

9 Applications of galvanometer 14

10 Advantages and Disadvantages 15

11 Bibliography 16
 CERTIFICATE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THIS PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
IS DEVELOPED BY TANUSHREE KANE OF CALSS XII-B ROLL NO. 26
ON THE TOPIC
MOVING COIL GALVANOMETER
SHE HAS DEVELOPED THIS PROJECT SUCCESFULLY UNDER MY
GUIDANCE AS PRESCRIBED BY THE AISSCE COURSE DURING THE
SESSION 2023-2024.

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Principal
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I must say thanks to my parents for the undivided support and encouragement in making this project.
Our physics teacher, Mrs. Jyoti Deore ma’am and lab assistant Nitin sir, I express my sincere
gratitude for their vital support and encouragement. My project would never would have been done
without their guidance. Who helped me complete my project by giving the different references and
ideas which helped me make my idea of making this project easy and thoughtful.
Special thanks to our principal Mrs. Smita Savant for being our guiding hand, a constant source of
motivation and for her round a clock support.

TANUSHREE KANE
XII-B, SSDPS, VADGOAN
 AIM
(OBJECTIVE)

The objective of the project is:

To study the working principle, construction, and applications of a moving coil galvanometer

.MATERIALS REQUIRED
 A moving coil
 Permanent magnet
 Suspension
 Insulated copper wire
 A soft iron core
 Pointer
 Scale

THEORY
A galvanometer is an electromechanical instrument used for detecting and indicating electric current.
A galvanometer works as an actuator, by producing a rotary deflection (of a “pointer”), in response to
electric current flowing through a coil in a constant magnetic field. Earlier galvanometers were not
calibrated, but their later developments were used as measuring instruments, called ammeters, to
measure the current flowing through an electric circuit.

Galvanometers developed from the observation that the needle of a magnetic compass is deflected
near a wire that has electric current flowing through it, first described by Hans Oersted in 1820. They
were the first instruments used to detect and measure small amounts of electric currents.

Since its discovery in the 1800’s, the galvanometer has seen many iterations. Some of the different
types of galvanometer include tangent galvanometer, mirror galvanometer and ballistic galvanometer.
However, today, the main type of galvanometer that is used widely is the D’arsonval or Weston type
or moving coil type. A galvanometer is basically a historical mane that has been given to a moving
coil electric current detector.

Sensitive galvanometers have been essential for the development of science and technology in many
fields. For example, they enabled long range communication through submarine cables, such as the
earliest transatlantic telegraph cables,and were essential to discovering the electrical activity of the
heart and brain, by their fine measurements of current.

A moving coil galvanometer is an instrument which is used to measure electric currents. It is a

sensitive electromagnetic device which can measure low currents even of the order of a few
microamperes.
Moving coil galvanometers are mainly divided into two types:
 Suspended coil galvanometer
 Pivoted-coil or Weston galvanometer
 CONSTRUCTION

 The moving coil galvanometer is made up of a rectangular coil that has many turns, and it is
usually made of thinly insulated or fine copper wire that is wounded on a metallic frame. The
coil is free to rotate about a fixed axis. A phosphor-bronze strip that is connected to a
movable torsion head is used to suspend the coil in a uniform radial magnetic field

Radial magnetic field: A magnetic field, in which the plane of the coil in all positions remains
parallel to the direction of magnetic field is called a radial magnetic field.

 Essential properties of the material used for the suspension of the coil are conductivity and a
low value of the torsional constant. A cylindrical soft core is symmetrically positioned inside
the coil to improve the strength of the magnetic field and to make the field radial so that the
angle between the plane of the coil and the magnetic field lines of force remains zero at all
times during the rotation of the coil. The soft iron core improves the sensitivity of the
instrument. The lower part of the coil is attached to a phosphor-bronze spring having a small
of turns. The other end of the spring is connected to binding screws.

 The spring is used to produce a counter torque which balances the magnetic torque and hence
helps in producing a steady angular deflection. A plane mirror which is attached to the
suspension wire, along with a lamp and scale arrangement , is used to measure the deflection
of the coil. The zero-point of the scale is at the centre.


 WORKING

 Let a current I flow through the rectangular coil of n number of turns and cross sectional
area A. When this coil is placed in a uniform radial magnetic field B, the coil experiences
a torque τ.

 Let us first consider a single turn ABCD of the rectangular coil having a length l and
breadth b. This is suspended in a magnetic field of strength B, such that the plane of the
coil is parallel to the magnetic field. Since the sides AB and DC are parallel to the
direction of the magnetic field , they do not experience any effective force due to the
magnetic field. This sides AD and BC being perpendicular to the direction of the field,
experience an effective force F given by F=BIl

 Using Fleming’s left hand rule, we can determine that the forces on AD and BC are in
opposite directions to each other. When equal and opposite forces F called couple acts on
coil on different line of actions, it produces a torque. This torque causes the coil to
deflect.

We know that torque T= Force x Perpendicular distance between the forces

T= F x b

Substituting the value of F, we already know,

Torque T acting on single loop ABCD of the coil = BIl x b
Where l x b is the area A of the coil

Hence, the torque acting on n turns of the coil is given by

T = nIAB
 The magnetic torque thus produced causes the coil to rotate, and the phosphor bronze
strip twists. In turn, the spring S attached to the coil produces a counter torque or
restoring torque kθ,where k is tortional constant (restoring a couple per unit twist) and θ
is deflection, which is measured as the value indicated on a scale by a pointer which is
connected to the suspension wire, which results in steady angular deflection.
Under an equilibrium condition,
kθ =nIAB
θ= (nAB/ k) I
Therefore, I∝ G and I∝ θ

The quantity nAB/k is a constant for a given galvanometer, denoted by G. Hence, it is

understood that the deflection that occurs in the galvanometer is directly proportional to
the current that flows through it.
SENSITIVITY OF MOVING COIL GALVANOMETER

 The sensitivity experienced by a moving coil galvanometer is given as the ratio of change
in deflection of the galvanometer to the change in current in the coil
S = d θ /dI
The sensitivity of a galvanometer is higher if the instrument shows a larger deflection for
a small value of current.
 Sensitivity is of two types,namely,
- Current sensitivity
- Voltage sensitivity

 Current Sensitivity:
The deflection per unit current is known as current sensitivity.
θ/I = naB/k
SI unit: Radian/A

 Voltage Sensitivity:
The deflection per unit voltage is known as voltage sensitivity.
Dividing both sides by V in the equation θ = (nAB/k) I,
θ/V= (nAB/Vk) I,
V= (nAB/k) (1/R)
R stands for the effective resistance in the circuit.
Note, Voltage sensitivity= Current sensitivity/ Resistance of the coil.
Therefore, under the condition that R remains constant, voltage sensitivity is directly
proportional to Current sensitivity.

 Factors affecting the sensitivity of a galvanometer :

- Increasing numbers of turns in the coil (n)
- Increasing area of the coil (A)
- Increasing magnetic field strength (B)
- The magnitude of a couple per unit twist, k/nAB
- Decreasing resistance
 LIMITATIONS TO INCREASE IN SENSITIVITY OF
MOVING COIL GALVANOMETER

 Increasing the area of coil beyond limit makes the instrument bulky.
 Increase in area the number of turns and area of the coil increases the load on suspension
fiber.
 Increasing the strength of magnetic induction leads to increase in the weight of the
apparatus.
 APPLICATIONS OF GALVANOMETER

 The moving coil galavanomater is a highly sensitive instrument due to which it can be used to
detect the presence of current in any given circuit.

 If a galvanometer is connected in a Wheatstone’s bridge circuit, the pointer in the

galvanometer shows null deflection, i.e, no current flows through the device. The pointer
deflects to the left or right depending on the direction of the current.

 The galvanometer can be used to measure the value of current in the circuit by connecting it
in parallel to low resistance.

 It can be used to measure the voltage by connecting it in series with high resistance.
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF A
MOVING COIL GALVANOMETER

 ADVANTAGES

- High sensitivity

- Not easily affected by stray magnetic fields

- The torque to weight ratio is high

-High accuracy and reliability

 DISADVANTAGES

- It can be used only to measure direct currents

- Develops errors due to factors like ageing of the instrument, permanent magnets and damage

of spring due to mechanical stress.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Class 12th Physics NCERT

 www.brainkart.com
 www.google.com/images