BG/ EE- 240/ CH2- EQ/ Vect or equat i ons August 10, 2005

1
Useful Vector Equati ons and I denti ti es

Dot (Scal ar) Product : = cos B A B A
Di st r i but i ve propert y: C A B A ) C B ( A + = +
Commut at i ve propert y: A B B A =
Scal i ng proper t y: ) B k ( A B ) A k ( ) B A ( k = =

Cross (Vect or) Product:
n
a sin B A B A =
Di st r i but i ve propert y: C A B A ) C B ( A + = +
Not Commut at i ve: A B B A =
Scal i ng proper t y: ) B k ( A B ) A k ( ) B A ( k = =

Rectangul ar coordi nate system:
Dot Product:
z z y y x x
B A B A B A B A + + =

Cross Product:
z y x
z y x
z y x
B B B
A A A
a a a
B A =

Magni t ude of a vect or:
2
z
2
y
2
x
A A A A A A + + = =
Di f ferenti al El ements:
Length:
z y x
a dz a dy a dx dl + + =
Vol ume: dz dy dx dv =
Surfaces:
x
x a dz dy ds =
y
y a dz dx ds =
z
z a dy dx ds =


BG/ EE- 240/ CH2- EQ/ Vect or equat i ons August 10, 2005
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Cyl i ndri cal Coordi nat e System:
A poi nt P(x, y, z) i n t he RCS syst em i s gi ven i n t he CCS syst em as P(, , z)
where and z are t he l engt hs and i s t he angl e as measured f rom t he x-axi s.
= cos x , = sin y , and z z =
2 2
y x + = and ) x / y ( tan
1
=
Vector transf ormati ons one way:
(
(
(
(

(
(
(

=
(
(
(
(

z z
y
x
a
a
a
1 0 0
0 cos sin
0 sin cos
a
a
a


(
(
(

(
(
(

=
(
(
(

z Z
y
x
A
A
A
1 0 0
0 cos sin
0 sin cos
A
A
A


Vector transf ormati ons t he other way:
(
(
(
(

(
(
(

=
(
(
(
(

z
y
x
z
a
a
a
1 0 0
0 cos sin
0 sin cos
a
a
a

(
(
(

(
(
(

=
(
(
(

z
y
x
Z
A
A
A
1 0 0
0 cos sin
0 sin cos
A
A
A


Di fferenti al el ement s:
Length:
z
a dz a d a d dl + + =


Vol ume: dz d d dv =
Surfaces:

= a dz d ds

= a dz d ds
z
z a d d ds =
BG/ EE- 240/ CH2- EQ/ Vect or equat i ons August 10, 2005
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Spheri cal Coordi nate System:
A poi nt P(x, y, z) i n t he RCS syst em i s gi ven i n t he SCS syst em as P(r, , )
where r i s t he l engt h, i s measured f rom t he posi t i ve z-axi s and i s t he angl e
as measured f rom t he x-axi s.
Not e t hat = cos sin r x , = sin sin r y , and = cos r z
2 2 2
z y x r + + = , ) x / y ( tan
1
= and ) r / z ( cos
1
=
Vector transf ormati ons one way:
(
(
(
(

(
(
(

=
(
(
(
(

a
a
a
0 sin cos
cos sin cos sin sin
sin cos cos cos sin
a
a
a
r
z
y
x


(
(
(

(
(
(

=
(
(
(

A
A
A
0 sin cos
cos sin cos sin sin
sin cos cos cos sin
A
A
A
r
Z
y
x

Vector transf ormati ons t he other way:
(
(
(
(

(
(
(
(

=
(
(
(
(

z
y
x r
a
a
a
0 cos sin
sin sin cos cos cos
cos sin sin cos sin
a
a
a


(
(
(

(
(
(

=
(
(
(

z
y
x r
A
A
A
0 cos sin
sin sin cos cos cos
cos sin sin cos sin
A
A
A

Di f ferenti al el ements:
Length:

+ + = a d sin r a d r a dr dl
r

Vol ume: = d d dr sin r dv
2

Surfaces:
r
2
r a d d sin r ds =

= a d dr sin r ds

= a d dr r ds

BG/ EE- 240/ CH2- EQ/ Vect or equat i ons August 10, 2005
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Gradi ent of a scal ar i s a vector:
RCS:
z y x
a
z
f
a
y
f
a
x
f
f

=

CCS:
z
a
z
f
a
f 1
a
f
f

=



SCS:

= a
f
sin r
1
a
f
r
1
a
r
f
f
r


The Di vergence Theorem:

} }
=
S V
ds F dv F
where S i s t he surf ace t hat compl et el y encl oses t he vol ume V.
Defi ni t i on of di vergence:

=

s
0 v
ds F
v
1
lim F
where s i s t he surf ace t hat compl et el y encl oses t he di f f erent i al vol ume v.
Di vergence of a vect or i s a scal ar quant i t y. I t i s a measure of net out ward f l ow
of a f i el d t hrough a cl osed surf ace. I f t he net out ward f l ow t hrough a cl osed
surf ace i s zero, t he f i el d i s sai d t o be conti nuous or sol enoi dal . I t can be
comput ed at any poi nt i n space as f ol l ows:
RCS:
z
F
y
F
x
F
F
z
y
x

=

CCS:
z
F
F
1
) F (
1
F
z

=



SCS:
( ) ( )

F
sin r
1 F sin
sin r
1
r
F r
r
1
F
r
2
2


BG/ EE- 240/ CH2- EQ/ Vect or equat i ons August 10, 2005
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Stokes' Theorem:

} }
=
C S
d F ds ) F (
where S i s t he surf ace t hat i s compl et el y encl osed by t he cont our C.

Defi ni t i on of Curl :

=

c
0 s
d F
s
1
lim F
where c i s t he cont our t hat compl et el y encl oses t he di f f erent i al surf ace s.
Cur l i s a measure of net ci rcul at i on of a vect or f i el d. I f t he net ci r cul at i on around
a cl osed pat h i s zero, t he f i el d i s sai d t o be conservat i ve or i rrotat i onal .
Not e t hat t he cur l of a vect or f i el d i s al so a vect or quant i t y.
Cur l can be comput ed as f ol l ows:
RCS:
z y x
z y x
F F F
z y x
a a a
F

=

CCS:
z
z
F F F
z
a a a
1
F

=

SCS:

=
F sin r F r F
r
a sin r a r a
sin r
1
F
r
r
2


BG/ EE- 240/ CH2- EQ/ Vect or equat i ons August 10, 2005
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The Lapl aci an of a scal ar quanti ty i s al so a scal ar quanti ty.
I t i s second order di f f erent i al operat or.
Def i ni t i on: f f
2
=
Lapl ace' s equati on: 0 f
2
=
Poi sson' s equati on: 0 f
2

I t can be comput ed as f ol l ows:
RCS:
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
z
f
y
f
x
f
f

=
CCS:
2
2
2
2
2
2
z
f f 1 f 1
f

+
(

=
SCS:
2
2
2 2
2
2
2
f
sin r
1 f
sin
sin r
1
r
f
r
r r
1
f

+ |
.
|

\
|

+
(

=

Some Useful Vect or I dent i ti es:
0 f = (a)
[ ] 0 F = (b)
f f
2
= (c)
( ) F F F
2
= (d)
( ) g f g f + = + (e)
G F ) G F ( + = + (f )
G F ) G F ( + = + (g)
g f f g ) g f ( + = (h)
f A A f ) A f ( + = (i )
A f A f ) A f ( + = (j )
( ) ( ) B A ) A ( B B A = (k)
) B A ( C ) C A ( B ) C B ( A = ( )