Talk:Galvanometer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It seems to me that Tangent galvanometer refers to the same instrument described here, using a more precise word for the basic instrument, but I'm no physicist. Should the two be merged? William Avery 12:57, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

A picture in the Tangent galvanometer would help a lot in understanding exactly what that gadget is, but based on the description in that article, it sounds like that's a different device than is being described here. Which leads to the real problem with this article:

The device described in this article is another form of galvanometer more-properly known as a D'Arsonval (sp?) meter. D'Arsonval meters have a fixed magnet and moving coil that is spring-loaded so as to return to its "zero" position. Energizingthe moving coil creates a magnetic force that rotates the coil away from the spring-established zero position.

By comparison, it sounds like a tangent galvanometer has a fixed coil and may depend on the earth's magnetic field as the "return" mechanism (as compared to the spring in the D'Arsonval movement).

This article should probably contain both devices, and make clear the distinction between the two. And there are still other ways of building meter movements, including spring-returned fixed-coil movements, electromagnetic-returned movements, thermal movements, etc.

Atlant 13:09, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

I see what you mean. 'The magnetic needle is free to rotate in the horizontal plane', so we are perturbing a compass. It's odd that Tangent galvanometer isn't linked to this article at all, and there's no link to the 'Tangent law' it mentions, either. (I have some vague recollection of rules involving fingers and thumbs at right angles to each other, like radii and tangents.) By the way, I wonder if I'd be right in thinking that those pretty equations would apply to all galvanometers containing coils, or are they just applicable to Tangent galvanometers?

William Avery 20:27, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

Answering my own question, those equations are about a compass needle in the earth's magnetic field, and won't apply to the D'Arsonval gavlvanometer. William Avery 20:45, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Removed See Also section

... because most of what was there is already wikilinked in the article itself. And I don't see why a galvanometer article should have a see also about electrical quackery? I did leave the interwikis that an anon editor deleted. --Janke | Talk 18:44, 24 October 2005 (UTC)