Quick Answer: The Tangent Galvanometer is a Stewart and Gee type instrument for measuring the horizontal component of the earth’s magnetic field and for checking current. Its coil is tapped at 2, 50 and 500 turns, and the compass box is graduated 0-90 degrees in four quadrants.
Last updated: October 2026
Key Features
Stewart and Gee type construction
Multi-tapped coil with 2, 50 and 500 turns for different sensitivities
Compass box with a low-friction pivot, aluminium pointer and mirror for parallax-free reading
Scale graduated 0-90 degrees in four quadrants
Non-magnetic circular base with levelling screws
Brass terminals
Technical Specifications
Specification
Value
Type
Stewart and Gee
Coil turns
2, 50 and 500 (multi-tapped)
Compass box
Pivoted aluminium pointer, plane mirror
Graduation
0-90 degrees in four quadrants
Base
Non-magnetic, circular, with levelling screws
Terminals
Brass
About This Product
In a tangent galvanometer the coil is set in the magnetic meridian, and a current through it deflects the compass needle by an angle whose tangent is proportional to the current. Students use it to find the horizontal component of the earth’s field, to compare currents, and to see how the number of turns changes the deflection. Schools, colleges and institutes in Trinidad and Tobago, Latvia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Poland, Ghana and Lesotho can order the Tangent Galvanometer from Educational Instrument.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Tangent Galvanometer have three coil tappings?
The 2, 50 and 500 turn tappings change the sensitivity, so both large and small currents give a readable deflection.
.png)
.png)
