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Lecture-4 Spherical Coordinates

This document describes spherical coordinate systems and how to convert between spherical and Cartesian coordinates. It defines spherical coordinates as (r, θ, φ) where r is the distance from the origin, θ is the angle from the z-axis, and φ is the angle from the x-axis. It then provides the equations to convert a point between the two coordinate systems and discusses how to represent and transform vectors and calculate distances between points in each system.

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Umer Khan
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104 views

Lecture-4 Spherical Coordinates

This document describes spherical coordinate systems and how to convert between spherical and Cartesian coordinates. It defines spherical coordinates as (r, θ, φ) where r is the distance from the origin, θ is the angle from the z-axis, and φ is the angle from the x-axis. It then provides the equations to convert a point between the two coordinate systems and discusses how to represent and transform vectors and calculate distances between points in each system.

Uploaded by

Umer Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SPHERICAL COORDINATES

Lecture-4
Spherical Coordinates (r,θ,Φ)
Most appropriate when dealing with problems having a degree of
spherical symmetry

A point P in spherical coordinates can be represented as (r,θ,Φ)

r is defined as the distance from the origin to point P or the


radius of a sphere centered at the origin and passing through P

θ is the angle between the z-axis and the position vector of P

Φ is measured from the x-axis and is the same angle as in


cylindrical coordinates
Spherical Coordinates (r,θ,Φ)
Spherical Coordinates (r,θ,Φ)
The ranges of the variables are:

A vector in spherical coordinates may be written as:

ar, aθ, and aΦ are unit vectors in the r, θ and Φ directions

The magnitude of A is:


Spherical Coordinates (r,θ,Φ)
ar being directed along the radius – In the direction of increasing r
aθ in the direction of increasing θ

aΦ in the direction of increasing Φ. Therefore:

AND
Point Transformations
Relation of space variables (x, y, z) in Cartesian coordinates
with variables (r,θ,Φ) of a spherical coordinate system
Point Transformations
For transforming a point from Cartesian (x, y, z) to spherical
(r,θ,Φ) coordinates:

For transforming a point from Spherical (r,θ,Φ) to Cartesian (x,


y, z) coordinates:
Unit Vector Transformations
Unit Vector Transformations
The unit vectors (ax, ay, az) and (ar, aθ, aΦ) are related as
follows:

OR
Vector Transformations
Substitute the unit vector transformations into the equation
below:

After collecting terms, we get:

OR
Vector Transformations
The transformations may be written in matrix form as:

AND
Distance between two points
In point or vector transformation the point or vector has not
changed; it is only expressed differently

For example, the magnitude of a vector will remain the same


after the transformation and this may serve as a way of checking
the result of the transformation

The distance between two points is usually necessary in


Electromagnetic theory

The distance d between two points with position vectors r1 and


r2 is generally given by:
Distance between two points
Using point transformation, this distance may be expressed in
Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical coordinates as below:
Example
Problem-1
a) Convert point P(0, - 4 , 3) from Cartesian to spherical
coordinates

b) Evaluate Q at P in Cartesian and spherical coordinate systems

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