Vector Analysis:
Spherical Coordinate Systems
Hu Jin
School of Electrical Engineering
Hanyang University ERICA Campus
Thee Spherical Coordinates
§ The first coordinate
§ r is the distance between the origin
to a point.
§ The second coordinate
§ θ is the angle between the z axis and
the line drawn from the origin to the O
point.
§ The third coordinate
§ ϕ is the angle between the x axis and
the projection in the z=0 plane of
the line drawn from the origin to the
point.
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Constant Coordinate Surfaces
§ A point
§ Intersection of constant coordinate surfaces
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Orthogonal Unit Vectors
§ Unit vector
§ Perpendicular to the surface on which the coordinate value is constant
§ Direction of increasing coordinate values
§ Right-handed system (r, θ, ϕ)
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Differential Volume
§ Differential length
§ r to r +d r : dr
§ θ to θ +d θ : rdθ
§ ϕ to ϕ +d ϕ : rsinθ dϕ
dV = dr (rdq ) (rsinq df)
= r2sinq drdqdf 5
Transformation: Coordinates
Point P has the coordinates
specified by P(r,q,f)
z
P
θ
r
y
x ϕ
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Transformation: Vectors
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Dot Products of Unit Vectors in the Spherical and
Rectangular Coordinate Systems
Dot Products of Unit Vectors in the Spherical and
Rectangular Coordinate Systems
θ Bθ1
Bθ2
aθ
Bθ1
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Dot Products of Unit Vectors in the Spherical and
Rectangular Coordinate Systems
aϕ
aϕ
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Example
Transform the field, , into spherical components and variables
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Example D1.7
§ Given the two points, C(-3, 2, 1) and D(r=5, θ=20º,
ϕ=-70º)
§ Find the spherical coordinates of C
§ Find the rectangular coordinates of D
§ Find the distance from C to D
§ Unit for angles
§ Degree: 45º, 90º, etc
§ Radian: π/4, π/2, etc (where π = 3.1415926… )
§ Relationship: 360º = 2π à 1º = π /180
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Example D1.7
§ For C, we have
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Example D1.7
§ For D, we have
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Example D1.7
§ The distance from C to D
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Example D1.8
§ Transform the following vectors to spherical
coordinates at the points given
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Example D1.8
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Example D1.8
Matlab code
[10*sin(acos(4/sqrt(41))) * sin(pi/6),
10*cos(acos(4/sqrt(41))) * sin(pi/6),
10*cos(pi/6)]
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Example D1.8
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Summary
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Homework
§ Chapter 1 problems (8th edition)
§ 8, 15, 17, 21, 24, 25, 26
§ Problems will be uploaded to the portal system.
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Vector Operations
§ Dot product
A × B = A B cosq AB
Commutative law: A × B = B × A
Distributie law: A × ( B + C ) = A × B + A × C
§ Cross product
A ´ B = -B ´ A
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Distributie law: A ´ ( B + C ) = A ´ B + A ´ C
Coordinate Systems
§ Coordinate (variables)
§ Transformations
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Coordinate Systems
§ Three surfaces
§ Intersection of those three surfaces defines a point
§ Orthogonal unit vectors
§ Each unit vector is normal to the corresponding surface
§ e.g.: ar is normal to r = constant
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Coordinate Systems
§ Dot product among different unit vectors
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Transformation
A vector defined at a point
A = Ax a x + Ay a y + Az a z
= Ar a r + Af af + Az a z
= Ar a r + Aq aq + Af af
é Ax ù écos f - sin f 0 ù é Ar ù
ê ú ê ê ú
ê Ay ú = ê sin f cos f 0 úú ê Af ú Cylindrical à rectangular
ê A ú êë 0 0 1 úû êë Az úû
ë zû
é Ax ù ésin q cos f cos q cos f - sin f ù é Ar ù
ê ú ê ê ú
ê Ay ú = ê sin q sin f cos q sin f cos f úú ê Aq ú Spherical à rectangular
ê A ú êë cos q - sin q 0 úû êë Af úû
ë zû
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Coordinate Systems
§ Differential volume
dV = dxdydz dV=ρ dρdfdz dV = r2sinq drdqdf
§ Differential length
dL = dxa x + dya y + dza z
dL = d r a r + df af + dza z
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dL = dra r + rdq aq + r sin q df af
