absolute magnetometer

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July 23, 2026

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An absolute magnetometer is an instrument used to measure the strength and direction of magnetic fields. Unlike relative magnetometers, which require calibration against a known magnetic field, absolute magnetometers are calibrated using their own internal constants.1

One of the earliest absolute magnetometers, developed by C.F. Gauss, used a suspended bar magnet to measure the Earth's magnetic field strength by timing its oscillations. A more modern example is the proton-precession magnetometer, which measures the voltage induced by the reorientation of polarized protons in water. These instruments are crucial for various applications, including calibrating magnets and studying fields in space.12

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magnetometer
Absolute magnetometers are calibrated with reference to their own known internal constants. Relative magnetometers must be calibrated by reference to a known, accurately measured magnetic field.
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Absolute magnetometers are calibrated with reference to their own known internal constants. Relative magnetometers must be calibrated by reference to a known, accurately measured magnetic field.
Read More