Coordinate

Systems

Bhanu Prakash @ EEE

COORDINATE
SYSTEMS
RECTANGULAR or Cartesian
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL

Choice is based
on symmetry of
problem

Examples:
Sheets - RECTANGULAR
Wires/Cables - CYLINDRICAL
Spheres - SPHERICAL
2

Cylindrical Symmetry

Spherical Symmetry

Visualization (Animation)
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Orthogonal Coordinate Systems:

1. Cartesian Coordinates

z
P(x,y,z)

Or
Rectangular Coordinates
x
P (x, y, z)

z
P(r, , z)

2. Cylindrical Coordinates
P (r, , z)
X=r cos ,
Y=r sin ,
Z=z
3. Spherical Coordinates

z
P(r, , )
r

P (r, , )
X=r sin cos ,
Y=r sin sin ,
Z=z cos

y
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z
P(r, , )
r

Cartesian Coordinates
P(x, y, z)

P(x,y,z)

y
x

Cylindrical Coordinates
P(r, , z)
z

Spherical Coordinates
P(r, , )
z

P(, , z)

r
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Cartesian coordinate system

Z

dz
dy
dx
P(x,y,z)
Y

dx, dy, dz are infinitesimal

displacements along X,Y,Z.
Volume element is given by
dv = dx dy dz
Area element is
da = dx dy or dy dz or
dxdz
Line element is
dx or dy or dz
Ex: Show that volume of a
3.
cube of edge
a
is
a
a
a
a

V dv dx dy dz a 3
v

Cartesian Coordinates
Differential quantities:
Length:

dl xdx y dy zdz

Area:

ds x xdydz

ds y y dxdz

ds z zdxdy

Volume:

dv dxdydz

AREA INTEGRALS
integration over 2 delta distances

dy
dx

Example:
y

7 6

AREA =

dy dx

= 16

3 2

Note that: z = constant

2
3

Cylindrical coordinate system

(,,z)
Z

Cylindrical coordinate system

(,,z)
d is infinitesimal

displacement along , d
is along and
dz is
along z direction.
Volume element is given
by

Z
dz

d
d

X
is azimuth angle

dv = d

d dz

Limits of integration of
, z are

0<< , 0< <2, -

<z <
10
Ex: Show that Volume of a

Cylindrical Coordinates: Visualization of Volume

element
Differential quantities:
Length element:

dl a d a d a z dz

Area element:

ds a ddz

ds a ddz

ds z a z dd

Volume element:

dv d d dz
Limits of integration of r, , are 0<< , 0<z < ,
o< <2
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Volume of a Cylinder of radius

R and Height H
V dv d d dz
v

d d dz
R H
2

Try yourself:
1) Surface Area of Cylinder = 2RH .
2) Base Area of Cylinder (Disc)=R2.
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Spherically Symmetric
problem (r,,)
Z

r
Y

X
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Spherical polar coordinate system

(r,,)

dr is infinitesimal
displacement along r, r d
is along and
r sin
P(r, , )
d is along direction.
Z
Volume element is given
dr
P
r cos
by
r d
r
dv = dr r d r sin d
Y Limits of integration of r,
, are
r sin d 0<r< , 0< < , o< <2

r sin
Ex: Show that Volume of a
X
sphere of radius R is 4/3
is zenith angle( starts from +Z reaches up to 3Z) ,
R .
is azimuth angle (starts from +X direction and lies in x-y plane only)
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Spherical Coordinates: Volume element in space

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Volume of a sphere of radius

R
V dv r dr sin d d
2

r dr sin d d
2

R
4

. 2 . 2 R 3
3
3
Try Yourself:
1)Surface area of the sphere= 4R2 .
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Points to remember
System

Coordinates

dl1 dl2 dl3

Cartesianx,y,z
dx dy dz
Cylindrical , ,z
d d
Spherical
r,,
dr rd

dz
r sind

Volume element : dv = dl1 dl2 dl3

If Volume charge density depends only on r:
2

Q dv 4r dr
v

Ex: For Circular plate: NOTE

Area element da=r dr d in both the
coordinate systems (because =900)
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Quiz: Determine
a) Areas S1, S2 and S3.
b) Volume covered by these surfaces.
S3
Z

Solution :
2

1 2

ii ) S 2 dr dz rh
0

Radius is r,
Height is h,

a ) i) S1 rd dz rh(2 1 )
S2

S1

2 r

r2
iii ) S 3 dr.rd (2 1 )
2
1 0

Y
d

h 2 r

r2
b) V dr.rd .dz (2 1 )h
2
0 1 0
X

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Vector Analysis
What about A.B=?, AxB=? and AB=?
Scalar and Vector product:
A.B=ABcos
Scalar
(Axi+Ayj+Azk).
(Bxi+Byj+Bzk)=AxBx+AyBy+AzBz
AxB=ABSin n

Vector

(Result of cross product is always

perpendicular(normal) to the plane
of A and B

or

B
A
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