How to Measure a Magnetic Field Using the Hall Effect
The Hall Effect is the production of a voltage across an electrical conductor in the presence of a magnetic field. The magnetic flux density can be calculated directly from several measurements, including the Hall voltage. The strength of a magnetic field can also be measured with a Hall Effect device and a few other materials that are readily available from a store that sells electronic components.
Things You'll Need
- Hall Effect device
- Mounting board
- Voltmeter
- Voltage regulator, +5v
- Electrical wire
- Battery clip
- 9V battery
Instructions
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1
Choose a Hall Effect device. One factor that determines the cost of a Hall Effect device is whether or not it's calibrated. You can make absolute measurements of magnetic fields with a calibrated Hall Effect device, but they're also significantly more expensive than uncalibrated devices. An uncalibrated Hall Effects device will only allow you to compare the strengths of two magnetic fields.
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Obtain a mounting board and voltmeter. This will typically be a perforated board or breadboard. A breadboard is more expensive, but will not require you to solder parts together. The voltmeter should have a digital display to the nearest hundredth of a volt and be able to measure at least 20 volts.
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Attach the Hall Effect device and voltage regulator to the mounting board. Connect the voltage regulator's output to Hall Effect device's input. Connect the common ground of the Hall Effect device to the common ground of the voltage regulator.
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Connect the voltage regulator's input to the battery clip's positive terminal of the battery. Connect the voltage regulator's common ground to the battery clip's negative terminal.
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5
Wire the voltmeter's positive terminal to the Hall Effect device's output. Connect the voltmeter's negative terminal to the voltage regulator's common ground. Insert a battery onto the battery clip. You can now measure magnetic fields with the output voltage from the Hall Effect device.
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