Welcome to the 3D world!

Cylindrical polar coordinate system

eˆ , eˆ and eˆz : orthonormal unit vectors

that span the space Prepared by
Prof. C. Vijayan
Cylindrical polar coordinate system

Z ρdρdφêz Elemental
volume
dV = ρdρdφdz
dz
ρ
ρdφdzêρ
r
dρdzê z

φ
Y
X
dφ ρdφ
dρ
 z

Area vectors
Az   d    d eˆz
P

A   d   dz eˆ
z A    d  dz eˆ
y



Volume element
x
dz  d dV   d  d dz
d
 Welcome to the 3D world!
Spherical polar coordinate system
z
êr
ê

r ê


Definition

r sin sin

x
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Spherical polar coordinates
z êr
r 0≤r≤  ê
ê
r
 0 ≤  ≤ 180° 
 0≤  ≤ 360° y

r sin sin
Coordinate Transformations x
=r sin; z=r cos  x2  y 2
tan   
x=r sin cos; y= r sin sin ; z=r cos z z
x2  y 2
   tan 1
Reverse transformation z
r  z x y z
2 2 2 2 2 2
  tan 1
y
x
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 z
êr
r sin and  are like the
plane polar coordinates ê
for the ‘floor’ r ê

r cos
y
 y
r sin sin

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 z
 measures the
‘fall’ of the r vector êr
from the z-axis
ê
and  measures r ê
how much the 
projection of the r r cos
vector ‘rolls’ on the y
‘floor’ y

r sin sin

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 z
Now our 3D world êr
is ready!
ê
r ê

r cos
y
 y
r sin sin

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 Z
 eˆr
r  x2  y 2  z 2
ê
 x2  y 2
tan   
ê z z
z  r cos  x2  y 2
r What you should   tan 1
z
remember y
  tan 1
 x

y  r sin  sin 
x  r sin  cos  Y


  r sin  x  r sin  cos 

X  y  r sin  sin 
0  r  ; 0    ; 0  
2 z  r cos 
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 Z
 eˆr rd
The point
ê is displaced
Moving along  d to a new point
ê
on the sphere
r
of same radius r  constant

and in the same plane
  constant
Y

Recognize the distance
between the old position
  r sin  and the new position to be rd

10
 Z
 eˆr  d  r sin  d
ê The point
Moving along 
d is displaced
ê to a new point
r on the sphere r  constant
and on the surface of the

 d  inverted cone   constant

 r sin  d

Y

d Recognize the distance

between the old position
  r sin  and the new position to be
 d  r sin  d
X

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 dr êr x rdθ êθ = rdrdθê
Volume spanned z
rsinθdê x dr êr = rsinθdrdê
by the
rdθêθ x rsinθdê = r2sinθdθdêr
three
displacements
through dr Pay attention to the
dr building up of the
volume element
rd 
r sin  d r
θ dθ

y
φ d
dV  (dr )(rd )(r sin  d )
x  r 2si n  dr d d
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Pay attention to the
building up of the
volume element
Volume dV  r sin  dr d d
2

element

d

dA r =rd eˆ  r sin  d eˆ

 r 2sin d d eˆr

dA =rsin d eˆ  dreˆr

 rsin drd eˆ

d dA =dreˆr  r d eˆ
 rdrd eˆ
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 z
Why ‘spherical’?

14
 z
Why ‘spherical’?

15
 z
Why ‘spherical’?

16
 z
Why ‘spherical’?

17
 Transformation of the unit vector

eˆr =sin cos  eˆ x  sin sin  eˆ y  cos  eˆ z

eˆ =cos cos  eˆ x  cos  sin  eˆ y  sin  eˆ z
eˆ   sin  eˆ x  cos  eˆ y
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eˆr , eˆ , eˆ forms right handed triad of orthogonal vector
Derivatives of unit vectors eˆr eˆ eˆ
(only directions need to be considered)   0
r r r
The unit vectors change
with the coordinates!

eˆr
 eˆ

eˆ
 eˆr

eˆ
0

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Derivatives of unit vectors

eˆr
 sin  eˆ

eˆ
 cos  eˆ The unit vectors change
 with the coordinates!
eˆ
 eˆ   cos  eˆ  sin  eˆr

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 eˆr   sin  cos  sin  sin  cos   eˆx 
    eˆ 
    cos  cos 
eˆ cos  sin   sin    y
eˆ    sin  cos  0   eˆz 
 
 eˆx  sin  cos  cos  cos  -sin   eˆr 
eˆ    sin  sin    
 y  cos  sin  cos   eˆ
 
 eˆz   cos   sin  0  eˆ 
 
eˆr eˆ eˆ
0 0 0
r r r
eˆr eˆ eˆ
 eˆ  eˆr 0
  
eˆr eˆ eˆ
 sin  eˆ  cos  eˆ   cos  eˆ  sin  eˆr
   21
 z êr
ê
Homework:
r ê
 What would be the
shape of each of
y the surfaces
 defined below?
r sin sin
x

the surface of constant r

the surface of constant 
the surface of constant 
constant r and 
constant r and φ
constant  and φ
 Motion in in spherical polar:
Velocity and acceleration

Infinitesimal displacement

Position vector r  reˆr Other parameters do not appear in this !

hence, dr  dreˆr  rdeˆr

eˆr eˆr
 dr  dreˆr  r   r 
 
dr  dreˆr  rd eˆ  r sin  d eˆ 23
 Motion in in spherical polar:
Velocity and acceleration

dr  dreˆr  rd eˆ  r sin  d eˆ

dr
v  reˆr  r eˆ  r sin  eˆ
dt
dv
a  (r  r  r sin  )eˆr
2 2 2

dt
 (2r  r sin  cos   r )eˆ
2

 (2r sin   2r cos   r sin  )eˆ

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