Lecture 2

Coordinate
Systems and
Transformation

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Objectives
 Define orthogonal coordinate system
 Understand the Cartesian coordinate system
 Understand the Cylindrical coordinate system
 Understand the Spherical coordinate system
 Transform vector from coordinate system to
another
 Know what surfaces are in cartesian, cylindrical
and spherical coordinate system

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 Introduction
 A point or vector can be represented in any
curvilinear coordinate system, which may be
orthogonal or nonorthogonal
 An orthogonal system is one in which the
coordinate surfaces are mutually perpendicular
 Some orthogonal coordinate systems: Cartesian
(or rectangular), the circular cylindrical, the
spherical, the elliptic cylindrical, the parabolic
cylindrical, the conical, the prolate spheroidal,
the oblate spheroidal, and the ellipsoidal
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 Cartesian Coordinates
 A point P can be represented as (x, y, z)
 The ranges of the coordinate variables x, y, and z
are

 A vectorA in Cartesian (otherwise known as

rectangular) coordinates can be written as

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Cartesian Coordinates

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Cartesian Coordinates

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 Circular Cylindrical Coordinates
 A point P in cylindrical coordinates is represented
as (ρ, Φ, z): ρ is the radius of the cylinder passing
through P or the radial distance from the z-axis;
Φ, called the azimuthal angle, is measured from
the x-axis in the xy-plane; and z is the same as in
the Cartesian system
 The ranges of the variables are

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Circular Cylindrical Coordinates

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 Circular Cylindrical Coordinates
 A vectorA in cylindrical coordinates can be
written as

 The following hold true:

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 Circular Cylindrical Coordinates
 The relationships between the variables (x, y, z)
of the Cartesian coordinate system and those of
the cylindrical system (ρ, Φ, z) are easily
obtained as

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Circular Cylindrical Coordinates

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 Circular Cylindrical Coordinates
 The relationships between (ax, ay, az)and (aρ, aΦ,
az) are obtained geometrically

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Circular Cylindrical Coordinates

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 Circular Cylindrical Coordinates
 In
matrix form, we write the transformation of
vector A from (Ax, Ay, Az) to (Aρ, AΦ, Az) as

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 Circular Cylindrical Coordinates
 The inverse of the transformation from (A ρ, AΦ,
Az) to (Ax, Ay, Az) is obtained as

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 Spherical Coordinates
 A point P 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 (called the colatitude) is
the angle between the z-axis and the position
vector of P; and Φ is measured from the x-axis
(the same azimuthal angle in cylindrical
coordinates)

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Spherical Coordinates

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 Spherical Coordinates
 The ranges of the variables are

 A vectorA in spherical coordinates may be

written as

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 Spherical Coordinates
 The magnitude of A is

 Also,

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 Spherical Coordinates
 Thespace variables (x, y, z) in Cartesian
coordinates can be related to variables (r, θ, Φ) of
a spherical coordinate system

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Spherical Coordinates

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 Spherical Coordinates
 The unit vectors ax, ay, az and ar, aθ, aΦ are related
as follows:

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 Spherical Coordinates
 Thecomponents of vector A = (Ax, Ay, Az) and A
= (Ar, Aθ, AΦ) are related by

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Spherical Coordinates

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 Spherical Coordinates
 The distance between two points:

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Example 1
 Given point P(-2, 6, 3) and vector A = yax + (x +
z)ay, express P and A in cylindrical and spherical
coordinates. Evaluate A at P in the Cartesian,
cylindrical, and spherical systems.

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 Example 2
 Express the vector

in Cartesian and cylindrical coordinates. Find

B(-3, 4, 0) and B(5, π/2, -2).

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 Constant-Coordinate Surfaces
 InCartesian coordinate system, equation of
planes are:
 x = constant
 y = constant
 z = constant
 The intersection of two planes is a line:
 x = constant and y = constant
 y = constant and z = constant
 z = constant and x = constant

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 Constant-Coordinate Surfaces
 The intersection of three planes is a point.
 x = constant, y = constant, z = constant

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 Constant-Coordinate Surfaces
 Orthogonal surfaces in cylindrical coordinates
can likewise be generated:

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 Constant-Coordinate Surfaces
 Orthogonal nature of the spherical coordinate
system is :

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Example 3
 Two uniform vector fields are given by E = -5ar +
10aΦ + 3az and F = ar + 2aΦ - 6az. Calculate
(a) |E ⨯ F|
(b) The vector component of E at P(5, π/2, 3)
parallel to the line x = 2, z = 3
(c) The angle that E makes with the surface z = 3
at P

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Example 4
 Given a vector field

determine
(a) D at P(10, 150º, 330º)
(b) The component of D tangential to the
spherical surface r = 10 at P
(c) A unit vector at P perpendicular to D and
tangential to the cone θ = 150º
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 Solved Problems
 Given vector A = 2aρ + 3aΦ + 4az, convert A into
Cartesian coordinates at point (2, π/2, -1).

 Calculate the distance between the following pairs

of points:
(a) (2, 1, 5) and (6, -1, 2)
(b) (3, π/2, -1) and (5, 3π/2, 5)
(c) (10, π/4, 3π/4) and (5, π/6, 7π/4)

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 Solved Problems
 Given that B = ρ2 sin Φaρ + (z - 1)cos ΦaΦ + z2az,
find B · ax at (4, π/4, -1).
 If H = ρ2 cos Φaρ – ρ sin ΦaΦ, find H · ax at point
P(2, 60º, -1).
 If r = xax + yay + zaz, describe the surface defined
by:
(a) r · ax + r · ay = 5
(b) |r ⨯ az| = 10

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Danke!
END

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