Given the large-scale magnetosheath flow pattern around the magnetosphere, the tangential discontinuity magnetopause model of De Keyser and Roth predicts, for a prescribed magnetic field rotation angle and rotation sense, where equilibrium is possible on the dayside magnetopause surface and where it is not. In this paper we verify these predictions using 5 s time resolution magnetic field and plasma observations of the low-latitude dayside magnetospheric boundary acquired by the Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers/Ion Release Module satellite. The model is confirmed by (1) the dominant presence of large positive magnetic field rotations among the dawnside crossings north of the equator, (2) the observation of positive and negative rotations near the stagnation point and at the duskside, and (3) the rare occurrence and questionable tangential discontinuity nature of low magnetic shear dawnside crossings. The absence of tangential discontinuity equilibrium in dawnside low shear crossings is consistent with the observation of increased dawnside low-latitude boundary layer thickness for northward magnetosheath field reported in the literature. ¿ 1998 American Geophysical Union