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Vectors Tensors 05 Coordinate Transformation Vectors PDF
Vectors Tensors 05 Coordinate Transformation Vectors PDF
For example, one might know that the force f acting “in the x1 direction” has a certain
value, Fig. 1.5.1 – this is equivalent to knowing the x1 component of the force, in an
x1 x 2 coordinate system. One might then want to know what force is “acting” in some
other direction – for example in the x1 direction shown – this is equivalent to asking what
the x1 component of the force is in a new x1 x 2 coordinate system.
x2 x1 component
of force
x2
f
x1
x1
x1 component
of force
The relationship between the components in one coordinate system and the components
in a second coordinate system are called the transformation equations. These
transformation equations are derived and discussed in what follows.
1.5.2. In that case the vector can be written as u u1e1 u 2 e 2 u 3 e 3 , and u1 , u 2 , u 3 are
its components.
Now a second coordinate system can be introduced (with the same origin), this time with
base vectors ei . In that case, the vector can be written as u u1e1 u 2 e2 u 3 e3 , where
u1 , u 2 , u 3 are its components in this second coordinate system, as shown in the figure.
Thus the same vector can be written in more than one way:
The first coordinate system is often referred to as “the ox1 x 2 x3 system” and the second as
“the ox1 x 2 x3 system”.
x2
x2
u1
u 2
x1 u2
e2 e1
o x1
u1
Note that the new coordinate system is obtained from the first one by a rotation of the
base vectors. The figure shows a rotation about the x3 axis (the sign convention for
rotations is positive counterclockwise).
Two Dimensions
Concentrating for the moment on the two dimensions x1 x 2 , from trigonometry (refer to
Fig. 1.5.3),
u u1e1 u2e 2
OB AB e1 BD CP e 2
cos u1 sin u2 e1 sin u1 cos u2 e 2
and so
x2
x2
u1 P
u2
x1 u2
C
D
A B
x1
o
u1
Q Q
1 T
Orthogonality of Transformation/Rotation Matrix (1.5.1)
Three Dimensions
It is straight forward to show that, in the full three dimensions, Fig. 1.5.4, the components
in the two coordinate systems are related through
where cos( xi , x j ) is the cosine of the angle between the xi and x j axes. These nine
quantities are called the direction cosines of the coordinate transformation. Again
denoting these by the letter Q, Q11 cos( x1 , x1 ), Q12 cos( x1 , x2 ) , etc., so that
x2
x2
u
x1
x1
x3
x3
Figure 1.5.4: two different coordinate systems in a 3D space
Note: some authors define the matrix of direction cosines to consist of the components
Qij cos( xi , x j ) , so that the subscript i refers to the new coordinate system and the j to
the old coordinate system, rather than the other way around as used here.
The direction cosines introduced above also relate the base vectors in any two Cartesian
coordinate systems. It can be seen that
e i e j Qij (1.5.4)
e2
cos( x1 , x2 ) e1 e2
e3
cos( x1 , x3 ) e1 e3
In the above, the transformation equations u i Qij u j were derived geometrically. They
can also be derived algebraically using the index notation as follows: start with the
relations u u k e k u j ej and post-multiply both sides by e i to get (the corresponding
matrix representation is to the right (also, see Problem 3 in §1.4.3)):
u k e k e i u j ej e i
u k ki u j Qij
u i u j Qij u u Q
T T T
u i Q ji u j u Q T u (1.5.5)
Example
Solution
The transformation matrix consists of the direction cosines Qij cos( xi , x j ) e i ej , so
1.5.3 Problems
1. The angles between the axes in two coordinate systems are given in the table below.
x1 x2 x3
x1 135 o
60 o
120 o
x 2 90 o 45 o 45 o
x3 45 o 60 o 120 o
Construct the corresponding transformation matrix Q and verify that it is
orthogonal.
2. The ox1 x 2 x3 coordinate system is obtained from the ox1 x 2 x3 coordinate system by a
positive (counterclockwise) rotation of about the x3 axis. Find the (full three
dimensional) transformation matrix Q . A further positive rotation about the
x 2 axis is then made to give the ox1x 2 x3 coordinate system. Find the
corresponding transformation matrix P . Then construct the transformation matrix
R for the complete transformation from the ox1 x2 x3 to the ox1x2 x3 coordinate
system.
3. Beginning with the expression u j e j ei u k ek ei , formally derive the relation
u i Q ji u j ( u Q T u ).