Spherical Coordinates

MATH 311, Calculus III

J. Robert Buchanan
Department of Mathematics
Fall 2011
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Spherical Coordinates
Another means of locating points in three-dimensional space is
known as the spherical coordinate system.
x
y
z

0,0,z
x,y,0
x,y,z
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Coordinate Denitions
If the point P has Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z), the points
spherical coordinates (, , ) are as follows:
: the distance from the origin O to P.
=
_
x
2
+y
2
+z
2
0
: the angle between vector x, y, z and the positive
z-axis.
0 = cos
1
_
z
_
x
2
+y
2
+z
2
_

: the angle between vector x, y, 0 and the positive
x-axis.
= cos
1
_
x
_
x
2
+y
2
_
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Converting from Spherical to Cartesian Coordinates
Given the spherical coordinates (, , ),
x = sincos
y = sinsin
z = cos .
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Converting from Spherical to Cylindrical Coordinates
Given the spherical coordinates (, , ),
r = sin
=
z = cos .
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (1 of 6)
If point P has spherical coordinates (, , ) = (2, /4, /3),
nd the coordinates of P in
1
Cartesian coordinates.
2
Cylindrical coordinates.
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (2 of 6)
1
Cartesian coordinates:
x = sincos = 2 sin

4
cos

3
=
1

2
y = sinsin = 2 sin

4
sin

3
=
_
3
2
z = cos = 2 cos

4
=

2
2
Cylindrical coordinates:
r = sin = 2 sin

4
=

2
= =

3
z = cos = 2 cos

4
=

2
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (3 of 6)
If point P has Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) = (0, 2

3, 2),
nd the coordinates of P in
1
Spherical coordinates.
2
Cylindrical coordinates.
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (4 of 6)
1
Spherical coordinates:
=
_
x
2
+y
2
+z
2
=
_
0
2
+(2

3)
2
+(2)
2
= 4
= cos
1
_
z
_
x
2
+y
2
+z
2
_
= cos
1
_

2
4
_
=
2
3
= cos
1
_
x
_
x
2
+y
2
_
= cos
1
(0) =

2
2
Cylindrical coordinates:
r =
_
x
2
+y
2
=
_
0
2
+(2

3)
2
= 2

3
= cos
1
_
x
_
x
2
+y
2
_
= cos
1
(0) =

2
z = z = 2
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (5 of 6)
Find the equation in spherical coordinates of the hyperboloid of
2 sheets: x
2
y
2
z
2
= 1.
1 = x
2
y
2
z
2
=
2
sin
2
cos
2

2
sin
2
sin
2

2
cos
2

=
2
_
sin
2
cos
2
sin
2
sin
2
cos
2

_
=
2
_
sin
2

_
cos
2
sin
2

_
cos
2

_
=
2
_
sin
2
cos 2 cos
2

_
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (5 of 6)
Find the equation in spherical coordinates of the hyperboloid of
2 sheets: x
2
y
2
z
2
= 1.
1 = x
2
y
2
z
2
=
2
sin
2
cos
2

2
sin
2
sin
2

2
cos
2

=
2
_
sin
2
cos
2
sin
2
sin
2
cos
2

_
=
2
_
sin
2

_
cos
2
sin
2

_
cos
2

_
=
2
_
sin
2
cos 2 cos
2

_
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (6 of 6)
Find the equation in Cartesian coordinates of the surface
whose equation in spherical coordinates is = sinsin.
= sinsin

2
= sinsin
x
2
+y
2
+z
2
= y
x
2
+
_
y
1
2
_
2
+z
2
=
1
4
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (6 of 6)
Find the equation in Cartesian coordinates of the surface
whose equation in spherical coordinates is = sinsin.
= sinsin

2
= sinsin
x
2
+y
2
+z
2
= y
x
2
+
_
y
1
2
_
2
+z
2
=
1
4
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Spherical Coordinate Equations (1 of 3)
Sphere: = c > 0, a constant
x
y
z
x
2
+y
2
+z
2
= c
2
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Spherical Coordinate Equations (2 of 3)
Plane: =
0
, with 0
0
2
x
y
z
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Spherical Coordinate Equations (3 of 3)
Cone: =
0
, with 0 <
0
<
x
y
z
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Volume Element in Spherical Coordinates
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
V ( sin)()()
=
2
sin
dV =
2
sind dd
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Iterated Integrals in Spherical Coordinates
The triple integral of f (, , ) over the solid region
Q = {(, , ) | g
1
(, ) g
2
(, ), h
1
() h
2
(), }
is
___
Q
f (, , ) dV =
_

_
h
2
()
h
1
()
_
g
2
(,)
g
1
(,)
f (, , )
2
sind dd.
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Examples (1 of 9)
Evaluate the triple integral below by converting to spherical
coordinates.
___
Q
e
(x
2
+y
2
+z
2
)
3/2
dV
where Q = {(x, y, z) | x
2
+y
2
+z
2
1}.
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Examples (2 of 9)
___
Q
e
(x
2
+y
2
+z
2
)
3/2
dV =
_
2
0
_

0
_
1
0
e
(
2
)
3/2

2
sind dd
= 2
_

0
_
1
0

2
e

3
sind d
= 2
_

0
1
3
e

1
0
sind
= 2
_

0
1
3
(e 1) sind
=
2(e 1)
3
(cos )|

0
=
4(e 1)
3
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Examples (3 of 9)
Find the volume of the solid that lies above the cone
z
2
= x
2
+y
2
and below the sphere x
2
+y
2
+z
2
= z.
0.5
0.0
0.5
x
0.5
0.0
0.5
y
0.0
0.5
1.0
z
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (4 of 9)
In spherical coordinates the equations of the cone and the
sphere are
Cone: =

4
Sphere: = cos .
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Example (5 of 9)
V =
___
Q
1dV =
_
2
0
_
/4
0
_
cos
0
(1)
2
sind dd
= 2
_
/4
0
_
cos
0

2
sind d
= 2
_
/4
0
1
3

cos
0
sind
=
2
3
_
/4
0
cos
3
sind
=
2
3
_
1/

2
1
u
3
du =
2
3
_
1
1/

2
u
3
du
=

6
u
4

1
1/

2
=

8
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Examples (6 of 9)
Find the mass and center of mass of the solid hemisphere of
radius a if the density at any point in the solid is proportional to
its distance from the base.
x
y
z
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Examples (7 of 9)
The distance of a point in the hemisphere from the base is
the z-coordinate of the point.
In spherical coordinates z = cos .
Without loss of generality, we may choose the
proportionality constant to be 1.
m =
___
Q
z dV
M
yz
=
___
Q
x z dV
M
xz
=
___
Q
y z dV
M
xy
=
___
Q
z
2
dV
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Examples (8 of 9)
m =
_
2
0
_
/2
0
_
a
0
( cos )
2
sind dd
= 2
_
/2
0
_
a
0

3
cos sind d
=
a
4
2
_
/2
0
cos sind =
a
4
2
_
1
0
u du =
a
4
4
M
xy
=
_
2
0
_
/2
0
_
a
0
( cos )
2

2
sind dd
= 2
_
/2
0
_
a
0

4
cos
2
sind d
=
2a
5
5
_
/2
0
cos
2
sind
=
2a
5
5
_
0
1
u
2
du =
2a
5
5
_
1
0
u
2
du =
2a
5
15
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Examples (9 of 9)
M
yz
=
_
2
0
_
/2
0
_
a
0
( sincos )
2
sind dd
=
_
a
0
_
/2
0
_
2
0

3
sin
2
cos d dd
= 0
M
xz
=
_
2
0
_
/2
0
_
a
0
( sinsin)
2
sind dd
=
_
a
0
_
/2
0
_
2
0

3
sin
2
sin d dd
= 0
Thus
(x, y, z) =
_
M
yz
m
,
M
xz
m
,
M
xy
m
_
=
_
0, 0,
8a
15
_
.
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates
Homework
Read Section 13.7.
Exercises: 157 odd
J. Robert Buchanan Spherical Coordinates