Course: PH1201 (Spring Semester 2026)
Tutorial-2
Dr. Shivangi Shree
1. Convert the following equation written in Cartesian coordinates into an equation in
cylindrical coordinates
𝑥 ! + 2𝑥 " − 6𝑧 = 4 − 2𝑦 "
Solution:
We know the Cartesian coordinates can be written in cylindrical coordinates using following
relations
𝑥 = 𝜌𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 [1]
𝑦 = 𝜌𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 [2]
𝑧=𝑧 [3]
𝜌" = 𝑥 " + 𝑦 " [4]
Rearranging the terms in given equation 𝑥 ! + 2𝑥 " − 6𝑧 = 4 − 2𝑦 " , we get
𝑥 ! + 2(𝑥 " + 𝑦 " ) − 6𝑧 = 4 [5]
Substituting x and 𝑥 " + 𝑦 " from [1] and [4] in [5]
(𝜌𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃)! + 2𝜌" − 6𝑧 = 4
𝜌𝟑 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟑 𝜽 + 𝟐𝜌𝟐 − 𝟔𝒛 = 𝟒
2. Determine gradient of 𝐹(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = 𝑥 " 𝑦 ! − 4𝑥𝑧 𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 (−1, 2, 0).
Solution:
Gradient of scalar function in Cartesian coordinates is
𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝐹
F⃗𝐹 =
∇ 𝑥I + 𝑦I + 𝑧̂
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝜕 " ! 𝜕 " ! 𝜕
F∇⃗𝐹(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = (𝑥 𝑦 − 4𝑥𝑧)𝑥I + (𝑥 𝑦 − 4𝑥𝑧)𝑦I + (𝑥 " 𝑦 ! − 4𝑥𝑧)𝑧̂
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
F⃗𝐹(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = (2𝑥𝑦 ! − 4𝑧)𝑥I + (3𝑥 " 𝑦 " )𝑦I + (−4𝑥)𝑧̂
∇ [1]
Substituting (x,y,z)=(-1,2,0) in [1], we get
F𝛁⃗𝑭(−𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟎) = −𝟏𝟔 𝑥I + 𝟏𝟐 𝑦I + 𝟒𝑧̂
3. Determine the vector 𝐴⃗ = (𝑦 − 𝑧))
𝑥 + 𝑥𝑦
) at the point P (-3, 2, 4) and express it in the cylindrical
polar co-ordinates.
Solution:
At point 𝑃(−3, 2, 4) the vector 𝐴⃗ = −(2𝑥I + 3𝑦I).
In cylindrical coordinates coefficients of unit vectors in 𝐴⃗ are written as
𝐴% 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 0 𝐴(
R𝐴& S = T−𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 0U R𝐴) S
𝐴' 0 0 1 𝐴'
𝐴% 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 0 𝑦−𝑧
R𝐴& S = T−𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 0U V 𝑥 W
𝐴' 0 0 1 0
𝐴% = (𝑦 − 𝑧)𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 + 𝑥𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙
𝐴& = −(𝑦 − 𝑧)𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 + 𝑥𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙
𝐴' = 0
𝑥 = 𝜌𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙
𝑦 = 𝜌𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙
𝑧=𝑧
Substituting x, y and z, we get
𝐴⃗ = (2𝜌 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 − 𝑧 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙)𝜌I + (−𝜌𝑠𝑖𝑛" 𝜙 + 𝜌𝑐𝑜𝑠 " 𝜙 + 𝑧 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙)𝜙X
Evaluating vector at point P(-3, 2, 4),
𝜌 = Y𝑥 " + 𝑦 " = √13
𝑦 2 −3 2
𝜙 = tan*+ = tan*+ ^ _ ; cos 𝜙 = ; sin 𝜙 =
𝑥 −3 √13 √13
𝑧=4
Substituting in
𝐴⃗ = (2𝜌 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 − 𝑧 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙)𝜌I + (−𝜌𝑠𝑖𝑛" 𝜙 + 𝜌𝑐𝑜𝑠 " 𝜙 + 𝑧 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙)𝜙X
−12 12 −4 9 8
𝐴⃗ = ^ + _ 𝜌I + ^ + + _ 𝜙X
√13 √13 √13 √13 √13
FF⃗ = √𝟏𝟑𝜙X
𝑨
4. With 𝐴⃗, any vector (𝐴.FFFF⃗
∇)r = 𝐴⃗,
a) Verify this result in Cartesian coordinates.
b) Verify this result using spherical polar coordinates.
a)
𝐴⃗= 𝐴( 𝑥I + 𝐴) 𝑦I + 𝐴' 𝑧̂
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
𝐴. F∇⃗= 𝐴( + 𝐴) + 𝐴'
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
(𝐴. FFFF⃗
∇)r⃗ = ^𝐴( + 𝐴) + 𝐴' _ (𝑥𝑥I + 𝑦𝑦I + 𝑧𝑧̂ )
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
= 𝐴( 𝑥I + 𝐴) 𝑦I + 𝐴' 𝑧̂ = 𝐴⃗
b)
𝐴⃗= 𝐴, 𝑟̂ + 𝐴q qX + 𝐴j j
k
𝜕 1 𝜕 1 𝜕
∇= 𝑟̂ + 𝜃X + 𝜑I
𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝜃 𝑟 sin 𝜃 𝜕𝜑
𝜕 1 𝜕 1 𝜕
𝐴⃗. ∇= 𝐴, + 𝐴q + 𝐴j
𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝜃 𝑟 sin 𝜃 𝜕𝜑
𝜕 1 𝜕 1 𝜕
m𝐴⃗. ∇nr⃗ = ^𝐴, + 𝐴q + 𝐴j _ . 𝑟𝑟̂
𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝜃 𝑟 sin 𝜃 𝜕𝜑
𝜕 1 𝜕 1 𝜕
= ^𝐴, + 𝐴q + 𝐴j _ (𝑟 sin 𝜃 cos 𝜑 𝑥I + 𝑟 sin 𝜃 sin 𝜑 𝑦I + cos 𝜃 𝑧̂ )
𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝜃 𝑟 sin 𝜃 𝜕𝜑
= 𝐴, (sin 𝜃 cos 𝜑 𝑥I + sin 𝜃 sin 𝜑 𝑦I + cos 𝜃 𝑧̂ )+𝐴q (cos 𝜃 cos 𝜑 𝑥I + cos 𝜃 sin 𝜑 𝑦I − sin 𝜃 𝑧̂ )+
1
𝐴j (− sin 𝜃 sin 𝜑 𝑥I + sin 𝜃 cos 𝜑 𝑦I)
sin 𝜃
= 𝐴, 𝑟̂ + 𝐴q qX + 𝐴j j
k
= 𝐴⃗
5. Make the required change in the given equation.
a) 𝑥 " − 𝑦 " = 25 to cylindrical coordinates.
b) 𝑥 " + 𝑦 " − 𝑧 " = 1 to spherical coordinates.
c) 𝑟 = 2 cos 𝜃 to cylindrical coordinates.
(a)
𝑥 = 𝜌𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 [1]
𝑦 = 𝜌𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 [2]
𝑧=𝑧 [3]
𝜌" = 𝑥 " + 𝑦 " [4]
𝜌" ((cos 𝜃)" − (sin 𝜃)" ) = 25
= 𝜌" cos 2𝜃 = 25
𝜌" = 25 sec 2𝜃
(b) 𝑥 = 𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃cos𝜙
𝑦 = 𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙
𝑧 = 𝑟 cos 𝜃
(𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃cos𝜙)" + (𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙)" − (𝑟 cos 𝜃)" = 1
(𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃)" ((cos 𝜙)" + (sin 𝜙)" ) − (𝑟 cos 𝜃)" = 1
𝑟 " ((𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃)" −(cos 𝜃)" ) = 1
𝑟 " (− cos 2𝜃) = 1
𝑟 " = − sec 2𝜃
(c)
𝜌 = 𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
𝑧 = 𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
𝑟 " = 𝜌" + 𝑧 "
𝑟 " = 2 𝑟cos 𝜃
𝜌" + 𝑧 " = 2𝑧
𝜌" + (𝑧 − 1)" = 1