COORDINATE SYSTEM

D. P. SINGH

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
University of petroleum & Energy Studies
Dehradun
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COORDINATE SYSTEMS
Choice is based on
RECTANGULAR or Cartesian symmetry of
problem
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL

Examples:
Sheets – RECTANGULAR
Wires/Cables – CYLINDRICAL
Spheres – SPHERICAL

Spherical Symmetry Cylindrical Symmetry

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 CARTESIAN COORDINATE SYSTEMS
Four basic elements;
1. Choice of origin…..
2. Choice of axis……. z
3. Choice of positive direction for each axis…..
4. Choice of unit vectors for each axis…..
P(x, y, z)
1. Origin; Spherical point, may be the mid point of the
given body.

2. Axis; From the origin, a set of axis can be chosen. y

Simplest set of axis is Cartesian axis; x-axis, y-axis and
z-axis.
x

Each point p in space may be assigned triplet values

(xP , yP , zP) as Cartesian coordinates of P.
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The range of these variables may be given as; P (x, y, z)

  x  ,    y  ,   z  
3. Positive direction; In the plane of paper, the horizontal direction from left to
right is positive x-axis, vertical direction from bottom to top is taken as positive
y-axis and bottom to upward as positive z-axis. All axis are mutually
perpendicular to each other. For the best fit of the given problem, axis and
positive direction my be chosen in any manner.
kp
3. Unit vectors; Point p is associated with three unit P(x, y, z)
directions called unit vectors (ip, jp, kp). Each unit
vector has magnitude 1.
The direction of ip is in the direction of increasing x- jp
coordinates to point p and so on… ip
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Any vector A in Cartesian coordinates can be written as;

( Ax , Ay , Az ) or Ax a x  Ay a y  Az a z
where ax, ay and az are unit vectors along x, y and z-directions.

Differential Length, Area and Volume; CARTESIAN COORDINATE SYSTEMS

1. Differential displacement;

dl  dxa x  dya y  dza z

2. Differential area;

dS  dydza x  dxdza y  dxdya z

3. Differential volume;

dV  dxdydz 5
Cylindrical Coordinates; (ρ, Φ, z)
Any point P in cylindrical coordinate system is represented as (ρ, Φ, z). Out of these
variables;
ρ is radius of cylinder passing through point P or radial distance from z-axis.
Φ is the azimuthal angle measured from the x-axis in x-y plane and z is similar to the
Cartesian coordinates.
z
z
The range of these variables may be given as;

P(ρ, Φ, z)
0 
y P (ρ, Φ, z); 0    2
Φ

x
ρ   z  
Any vector A in Cylindrical coordinates can be written as;

( A  A  Az ) or A a   A a  Az a z

where aρ, aΦ and az are unit vectors along ρ, Φ and z-directions.

It may be noted that the unit vectors; aρ, aΦ and az are mutually perpendicular
simply because of our coordinate system which is orthogonal i.e., aρ pointed in the
direction of increasing ρ while aΦ pointed in the direction of increasing Φ and az
pointed in the direction of increasing positive z-directions.

Further; aρ.aρ = aΦ.aΦ = az.az = 1

while; aρ.aΦ = aΦ.az = az.a ρ = 0
& aρ x aΦ = az
aΦ x az = a ρ
az x a ρ = aΦ Obtained in cyclic order.
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 From these relations;
2 2 1 y
Relation b/w Cartesian (x, y, z) and   x  y ,   tan ,z  z
cylindrical coordinate system (ρ, Φ,
x
z) can be obtained from fig; First eq. is used for (ρ, Φ, z) to (x, y, z)
transformations, while other is used for (x, y,
x= ρ cos Φ, y=ρ sin Φ, z=z z) to (ρ, Φ, z) transformations.
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The relationships between (ax,ay, az) The relationships between (aρ,aΦ, az) and
and (aρ,aΦ, az) are; (ax,ay, az) are;
a x  cos  a   sin  a a   cos  a x  sin  a y
a y  sin  a   cos  a a   sin  a x  cos  a y
az  az az  az
A vector in Cartesian coordinate can be written as;

A  Ax a x  Ay a y  Az a z

In order to get the relationships between (Ax,Ay, Az) and (Aρ, AΦ, Az), putting the value of
(ax, ay, az) in the above vector and collecting the term in terms of aρ, aΦ and az; we have

A  ( Ax cos   Ay sin  )a   (  Ax sin   Ay cos  )a  Az a z

Comparing the magnitude components;


A  Ax cos   Ay sin    xˆ cos   yˆ sin 
or
A   Ax sin   Ay cos  ˆ   xˆ sin   yˆ cos 
Az  Az zˆ  zˆ
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The transformations of vector A from (Ax,Ay, Az) to (Aρ, AΦ, Az), can be written in matrix
form as;

 A   cos  sin  0  Ax 
 A    sin  cos  0  Ay 
  
 Az   0 0 1  Az 

Inverse of transformations of vector A from (Aρ, AΦ, Az) to (Ax,Ay, Az);

1

 Ax 
 cos  sin  0  A 
A     A 
 y  sin  cos  0
  
 Az   Az 
 0 0 1
Differential Length, Area and Volume; Cylindrical Coordinates
 Differential Length, Area and Volume

Cylindrical Coordinates

Differential displacement
dl  d  a    d  a   dza z

Differential area
dS   d  dza   d  dza   dda z

Differential Volume
dV   d  d  dz
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Spherical Coordinates (r, , )

Dealing with the spherical symmetry

Any point P in the spherical coordinates

is represented by (r, , ).

From fig.; r is the distance from the

origin to the point P or, measures the
radial distance from the origin to the
point P.

 is the angle between the z-axis and the

position vector of P, while  is measured
from x-axis (similar to the azimuthal
angle as in cylindrical coordinates.)
The range of these variables in spherical
coordinates
0  r  , 0     and 0    2
A vector A in Spherical coordinates can be
written as
( Ar , A , A ) or Ar ar  A a  A a
where ar, aθ, and aΦ are unit vectors along r, θ, and Φ-directions.
Further; ar.ar = a.a  = aΦ.aΦ = 1
while; ar.a = a.a = a.a r = 0
& ar x a = a
a x aΦ = ar
a x ar = a Obtained in cyclic order.
Relation between space variables (x, y, z),
(ρ, Φ, z) and (r, , ).
We have
x= ρ cos Φ, y= ρ sin Φ
Z=r cos θ &
ρ = r sin Φ

So, We have;
x=r sin θ cos Φ,
y=r sin θ sin Φ
Z=r cos θ
2 2
2 2 2 1 x y 1 y
r  x  y  z ,  tan ,  tan
z x
Above equations (in last slide) are used to transform Cartesian coordinate
system to the spherical coordinates system.

The relationships between the Cartesian coordinates (ax, ay, az) and spherical
coordinates (ar, aθ, aΦ) are

a x  sin  cos ar  cos  cos a  sin a

a y  sin  sin ar  cos  sin a  cos a
a z  cos ar  sin a
Or,
ar  sin  cos a x  sin  sin a y  cos a z
a  cos  cos a x  cos  sin a y  sin a z
a   sin a x  cos a y
 A  ( A x sin  cos   A y sin  sin   A z cos  ) a r
 ( A x cos  cos   A y cos  sin   A z sin  ) a
Then the relationships  (  A x sin   A y cos  ) a
between (Ax, Ay, Az) and
(Ar, Aθ, AΦ)are A r  A x sin  cos   A y sin  sin   A z cos 
A  A x cos  cos   A y cos  sin   A z sin 
A   A x sin   A y cos 
In matrix form we can write;
 Ar   sin  cos  sin  sin  cos    A x 
  
 A    cos  cos  cos  sin   sin    A y 
 A    sin  cos  0   A z 
 
Spherical Coordinates; Differential Length, Area and Volume
 Differential Length, Area and Volume; Spherical Coordinates

Differential displacement
dl  dr ar  r d a  r sin  d a
Differential area

dS  r 2 sin  d d ar  r sin  dr d a  r dr d a

Differential Volume

dV  r 2 sin  dr d d
 Line, Surface and Volume Integrals

Line Integral
 A.dl
L

Surface Integral    A.dS

S

Volume Integral
  dv
V
v
 Scalar and Vector Fields
 Every physical quantity can be expressed as a continuous function of
position of a point in the region of space. Such a function is called point
function and the region in which it specify the physical quantity is called
field.

 A scalar field is a function that gives us a single value of some variable for
every point in space.
voltage, current, energy, temperature

 A vector is a quantity which has both a magnitude and a direction in

space.
velocity, momentum, acceleration and force
Gradient, Divergence and Curl
The Del Operator
Del operator is basically a vector differential operator denoted by;

or
This is also known as gradient operator and useful for the following functions by;

Gradient of a scalar function f is a vector quantity;  f

Divergence of a vector function A is a scalar quantity and given by;
 dot A or  . A
Curl of a vector function A is a vector quantity given by;  A
The Laplacian of a scalar function A is given by; 2A
 Del Operator
  
Cartesian Coordinates;   ax  ay  az
x y z

 1  
Cylindrical Coordinates;  a  a  a z
   z
Spherical Coordinates;  1  1 
  ar  a  a
r r  r sin 
 Gradient of a Scalar
The gradient of a scalar field V is a vector that represents whose the
magnitude at any point is equal to the maximum rate of change of scalar
function (increase of) V with respect to the space variables and has the
direction of that change.
V V V
Cartesian Coordinates V  ax  ay  az
x y z
V 1 V V
Cylindrical Coordinates V  a  a  az
   z
V 1 V 1 V
Spherical Coordinates V  ar  a  a
r r  r sin  
Gradient of a Scalar
Gradient of a Scalar
Gradient of a Scalar
 Divergence of a Vector
The divergence of A at a given point P is the  A.dS
S
outward flux per unit small volume divA  . A  lim
surrounding the point P.
v 0 v

A A A
. A   
x y z Cartesian Coordinates

1  1 A Az
. A  ( A )   Cylindrical Coordinates
    z

Ar 1 A 1 A

. A    Spherical Coordinates
r r  r sin  
Divergence of a Vector
Divergence of a Vector;
 Curl of a Vector
The curl of a vector field A at any point is defined as a vector quantity having
magnitude equal to the maximum line integral per unit area along the boundary of
an infinitesimal test area at that point and direction perpendicular to the test area.
The curl of A is an axial vector whose magnitude is the maximum circulation of A
per unit area tends to zero and whose direction is the normal direction of the area
when the area is oriented to make the circulation maximum.
 
 L A .dl 
curlA    A   lim  an
  s  0  S 
  max

Where ΔS is the area bounded by the curve L and an is the unit vector
normal to the surface ΔS
  ax ay az 
Cartesian Coordinates
  
 A   
x y z 
 Ax Ay Az 
  a a az 
1   
Cylindrical Coordinates  A   
   z 
 A A Az 
Spherical Coordinates
 ar ra r sin a 
1    
 A  2  
r sin   r   
 Ar rA r sin A 
Curl of a Vector;
Curl of a Vector;
 Gauss’s Divergence Theorem

The flux of a vector field A over any closed surface S is equal to

the volume integral of the divergence of that vector field over
that volume enclosed by the surface.

This theorem is used to convert surface integral into volume

integral.
 Stoke’s Theorem

The flux of the curl of a vector field A over any closed surface S of
any shape is equal to the line integral of the vector field A over
the boundary of that surface.
Here dS represents a small area element of surface S and dl is the
element of boundary l.

This theorem is used to convert surface integral of a curl of a

vector field A into the line integral of that vector field A.