Scribd
Upload
83 views

Exp 6: Earth's Magnetic Field and Magnetic Field of A Solenoid

This document provides an overview of two experiments: 1) Measuring the Earth's magnetic field using a bar magnet suspended in a Helmholtz coil. Multiple data points of oscillation period vs. current are collected and fitted to a line, allowing calculation of the horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field. 2) Measuring the magnetic field inside a solenoid by varying current and recording axial and radial field values. The experimental results are compared to theoretical values calculated using the equation for magnetic field inside an infinite solenoid.

Uploaded by

Maria
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
83 views

Exp 6: Earth's Magnetic Field and Magnetic Field of A Solenoid

This document provides an overview of two experiments: 1) Measuring the Earth's magnetic field using a bar magnet suspended in a Helmholtz coil. Multiple data points of oscillation period vs. current are collected and fitted to a line, allowing calculation of the horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field. 2) Measuring the magnetic field inside a solenoid by varying current and recording axial and radial field values. The experimental results are compared to theoretical values calculated using the equation for magnetic field inside an infinite solenoid.

Uploaded by

Maria
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

Exp 6: Earth’s Magnetic Field and

Magnetic Field of a Solenoid


Florida Atlantic University

PHY2049L General Physics Lab 2


Outline for Exp 6.1
In the absence of external magnetic fields, a compass needle (or
a bar magnet free to rotate in the horizontal plane) always aligns
itself in the north-south direction, even when displaced from this
direction. This is because its equilibrium position is in the north-
south direction due the earth’s magnetic field.
If the bar magnet is slightly rotated from the equilibrium
direction, it oscillates about this direction. The frequency of this
oscillation is constant, and is related to the strength of the
horizontal component of the earth’s magnetic field. This then gives
us just one (frequency, magnetic field) data point.
However, we need more than one data point for our experiment.
Hence, we apply an external magnetic field to enhance the
horizontal component of earth’s magnetic field and vary its
strength to get multiple data points to create a plot.
Torque on the bar magnet
When a bar magnet is aligned with the magnetic field ⃗ B (such as
the horizontal component of the earth’s magnetic field) acting on it,
it is in equilibrium. When it is rotated by some angle θ from this
equilibrium direction, the magnitude of the torque ⃗τ acting on it is
given by: τ = −m B sin θ . (1)
The negative sign denotes that it is a restorative torque.
When θ is very small, we can write sin θ ≃ θ and then we have:
τ ≃ −m B θ . (2)
This torque causes the bar magnet to oscillate about the
equilibrium direction, and the frequency of oscillation is given by:
1 mB
f=
√
2π I
where m is the magnitude of magnetic moment
and I is moment of inertia of bar magnet.
Time period of oscillation: T = 1/ f (3)
Helmholtz Coil
It consists of two identical coaxial coils carrying the same current
in the same direction, as a result, at the midpoint between them on
their axis, their magnetic fields have the same direction and the
same magnitude, so the magnitude of the total magnetic field at
that point is:
4 2 N μ0 I C 0.72 N μ 0 I C
3
B= ()5 R
≃
R
(4)

Helmholtz
Coil

Bar
Magnet
Application of Helmholtz coil in Exp 6.1
As mentioned before, we need to apply an external magnetic
field that enhances the horizontal component of earth’s magnetic
field B h . For this, we use the Helmholtz coil.
Hence, we suspend a small bar magnet at this center point, and
gradually increase the current to apply different magnetic fields on
it.
Working formula for Exp 6.1
With this setup, we can now collect multiple data points.
However, in practice, we record time period of oscillation T instead
of frequency, as it is easier to work with. Also, we use current
measurement I C through coil, instead of magnetic field, as its
magnitude proportional to the magnitude of current. Then we
1 0.72 N μ 0
have: 2 = C I C + C Bh (5)
T R
where
R → radius of Helmholtz coil = 0.105 m
N → # of turns in Helmholtz coil = 200
μ0 → vacuum permeability = 4 π ×10−7 T m/ A
C → a constant
Data analysis for Exp 6.1: Tables 1 and 2
We vary the the current I C and record multiple ( I C ,T ) data
points for current and time period values.
Then using these, we create a 12 vs. I C plot
T
and fit a straight line equation to it. Then, this line
1
is: 2
= m IC + b . (6) 1
T T
2
1
Here, m is slope and b is intercept. 2
=m I C +b
T
Then comparing Eqn (5) and (6), we have:
0.72 N μ 0 IC
C =m (7)
R
C Bh = b (8)
Using these equations (7) and (8), we can determine the
horizontal component of earth’s magnetic field B h .
Concept for Exp 6.2
If a current of magnitude I is passed through an infinite solenoid
with n turns per unit length, it creates a magnetic field inside the
coil that is in the axial direction and has the magnitude:
B = μ0 n I (7)
However, the actual solenoid we use in our experiment is of
finite length and we can only approximate the magnitude of the
axial magnetic field at the center of this solenoid by Eqn. (7).
We vary current I through the solenoid and measure the
magnetic field magnitudes for both axial magnetic field( B|| ) and
the perpendicular magnetic field ( B−radial ) .
Data analysis for Exp 6.2
We use the data we collect by varying the current through the
solenoid and plot both axial magnetic field ( B|| ) and the
perpendicular magnetic field ( B−radial ) vs. current I .
We also calculate the magnetic field for each of the current
values we use for the solenoid, using Eqn. (7). This is our theoretical
magnetic field ( B−theory ).
For this we use μ0 = 4 π × 10−7 Tm/ A = 4 π × 10−3 Gauss m/ A
We plot all three magnetic fields B|| , B−radial and
B−theory along y-axis and the current I along x-axis. Through
this plot we study the behaviors of the axial and perpendicular
magnetic fields. We also perform straight line fits to the B|| and
B−theory fields and compare the slopes to see how well the
experimental result agrees with the theory.
End of Theory

You might also like