LECTURE 6

REPRESENTATION OF VECTORS
IN DIFFERENT COORDINATE SYSTEM
6.01 VECTOR REPRESENTATION IN DIFFERENT COORDINATE
SYSTEMS
a) Rectangular Coordinate System
r
A = Ax a x + Ay a y + Az a z
b) Cylindrical Coordinate System
r
A = A a + A a + Az a z
c) Spherical Coordinate System
r
A = Ar a r + A a + A a

6.02 DIRECTION OF UNIT VECTORS

a) Rectangular Coordinate System
Directions of unit vectors are invariant of the location.

Fig 6.1 Direction of unit vectors in rectangular coordinate system

b) Cylindrical Coordinate System
Directions of unit vectors a and a are dependent of the value
of . The direction of a z is invariant of the location.

Fig 6.2 Direction of unit vectors in cylindrical coordinate system

c) Spherical Coordinate System
Directions of unit vectors in Spherical coordinate are dependent of
the value of and .

Fig 6.3 Direction of unit vectors in spherical coordinate system

6.03 VECTOR CONVERSION
The conversion of vector components from one coordinate system to
another coordinate system can be written in the form,
r
r
A new = TA old
r
where: A new = vector in the new coordinate system
r
A old = vector in the old coordinate system

T = transformation matrix

VECTOR CONVERSION FORMULAS

a) Rectangular to Cylindrical
r
r
A cyl = Trectocyl A rec

A cos
A = sin

Az 0

sin
cos
0

0 Ax
0 Ay
1 Az

b) Cylindrical to Rectangular
r
r
A rec = Tcyl torec A cyl

Ax cos
A = sin
y
Az 0

sin
cos
0

0 A
0 A
1 Az

c) Rectangular to Spherical
r
r
A sph = Trecto sph A rec

Ar sin cos

A = cos cos
A sin

sin sin
cos sin
cos

cos Ax
sin Ay
0 Az

cos cos
cos sin
sin

sin Ar

cos A
0 A

d) Spherical to Rectangular
r
r
A rec = Tsphtorec A sph

Ax sin cos
A = sin sin
y
Az cos

e) Cylindrical to Spherical
r
r
A sph = Tcyl tosph A cyl

Ar sin

A = cos
A 0

0 cos A
0 sin A
1
0 Az

f) Spherical to Cylindrical
r
r
A sph = Tcyl tosph A cyl

A sin
A = 0

Az cos

cos
0
sin

0 Ar

1 A
0 A

6.04 EXAMPLES:

r
Example 6.01 Convert vector B = 3a x + 0.50a y + 0.25a z at
R(3.052, 85.301, 170.538) in Cylindrical coordinates.
Solution:

B cos(170.538) sin(170.538)
B = sin(170.538) cos(170.538)

Bz
0
0
r
In Cylindrical coordinates, B = 2.877a 0.986a

0 3
0 0.5
1 0.25
+ 0.25a z

r
Example 6.02 Convert vector B = 3a x + 0.50a y + 0.25a z at

R(3.052, 85.301, 170.538) in Spherical coordinates.

Solution: = 85.301, = 170.538

Br sin cos sin sin cos 3

B = cos cos cos sin sin 0.5

B sin
cos
0 0.25

r
In Spherical coordinates, B = 2.847a r 0.485a 0.986a

r
Example 6.03 Convert vector C = 5a 0.30a + 0.50a z at
S (6.403, 128.66, 25) in Rectangular coordinates.
Solution:

Cx cos(25) sin(25) 0 5
C = sin(25) cos(25) 0 0.30

y
C z 0
0
1 0.50
r
In Rectangular coordinates, C = 4.658a x + 1.841a y + 0.50a z

r
Example 6.04 Convert vector C = 5a 0.30a + 0.50a z at
S (6.403, 128.66, 25) in Spherical coordinates.
Solution:

Cr sin(128.66) 0 cos(128.66) 5

C = cos(128.66) 0 sin(128.66) 0.30

C
0.50
0
1
0

r
In Spherical coordinates, C = 3.592a r 3.514a 0.30a

r
Example 6.05 Convert vector D = 10a r + 3a 4a at T (7, 25, 45)
in Rectangular coordinates.
Solution: = 25, = 45

D x sin cos
D = sin sin
y
D z cos

cos cos
cos sin
sin

sin 10
cos 3
0 4

r
In Rectangular coordinates, D = 7.739a x + 2.083a y + 7.795a z
r
Example 6.06 Convert vector D = 10a r + 3a 4a at T (7, 25, 45)
in Cylindrical coordinates.
Solution:

D sin(25) cos(25) 0 10
D = 0
0
1 3

Dz cos(25) sin(25) 0 4
r
In Cylindrical coordinates, D = 6.945a 4a + 7.795a z

6.05 QUESTIONS:
6.06 SUPPLEMENTARY PROBLEMS: