Electro-Magnetic Waves & Transmission Lines Unit 1

Lecture Notes 3

1.6.3 Spherical Coordinate System

Fig. 1.13

The three orthogonal planes are : 1. A Sphere with center as origin (r=constant), 2.
θ=constant) and a φ = constant
A cone with its vertex at origin and z –axis as it axis (θ
plane as in cylindrical system . Any point P is at the intersection of these three
planes and represented as P(r, θ, φ).
θ, aφ
Unit vectors are ar, aθ φ

The unit vector ar at a point

θ,φ
P(r,θ φ) is directed radially
Outward normal to the
spherical surface (r=constant).
The unit Vector aθθ is normal to
the cone (θ θ=constant) and
points in the Direction of
increasing θ and Tangential to
spherical surface. The unit
vector aφ φ is same as in
cylindrical Coordinate system.
ar x aθ = aφ
aθ x aφ = ar
Fig. 1.14 Unit Vectors ar, aθ, aφ aφ x ar = aθ

B. I. Neelgar, ECE, GMRIT

Electro-Magnetic Waves & Transmission Lines Unit 1
Lecture Notes 3

Spherical Co-ordinate system – Differential lengths and surface Areas

and Differential Volume
A differential volume element in Spherical coordinates is obtained by increasing r,θ, and
φ by differential increments dr, dθ and dφ. The two spheres of radius r and r+dr, the two
cones at angles θ, and θ+dθ and the two radial planes φ and φ+dφ enclose a a small
volume as shown in the figure 1.15. It can be noted that dρ is dimensionally length but dθ
and dφ are not and from the figure dθ is converted to length as rdθ and dφ becomes
rsinθdφ The different surface areas, the volume and the differential lengths are also
shown in the figure 1.15 below.

Fig. 1.15
θ, rsinθ
Differential lengths dr, rdθ θdφ
φ

Differential Surface Areas Differential Volume

dsr = ± r2 sinθ
θ dθ
θ dφ
φ ar θ dr dθ
dv = r2 sinθ θ dφ
φ

dsθ = ± r sinθ
θ dr dφ
φ aθ

dsφ= ± r dr dθ
θ aφ

Default limits
r -> 0 to ∞
θ -> 0 to π
φ -> 0 to 2π
π

B. I. Neelgar, ECE, GMRIT

Electro-Magnetic Waves & Transmission Lines Unit 1
Lecture Notes 3

1.7 Conversion of a vector function in one coordinate system to another

A vector function in one coordinate system, requires two steps in order to
transform it to another coordinate system. Thus given a vector of the form
A= Ax ax + Ay ay + Az az
where each component is given as a function of x, y and z and if it is required to
obtain a vector in cylindrical coordinates as
A =Aρ aρ + Aφ aφ + Az az
then it is required to first convert the main components Ax, Ay and Az to
cylindrical system. To get the component of a vector, a dot product of the vector and a
unit vector in the desired direction is taken as
A= A •aρ and A = A•aφ
Thus it is necessary to know the formulae for conversion of the main components
and dot products between the different unit vectors. The formulae for conversion of main
components and dot products are shown in the figure below.

Co-ordinate systems Conversions

z

X= ρcosφ ρ =√x2 + y2
Y= ρsinφ
Z=Z
z P(x, y, z)
ρ= √x2 + y2 P(ρ, φ, z)
φ= tan-1 (y/x) r P(r, θ, φ)
θ
Z=Z

r=√x2 + y2 +z2
o
θ= tan-1 √x2 + y2 y
z x ρ
φ= tan-1 (y/x) φ
X =rsinθ cosφ
Y = rsinθ sinφ
y Z= rcosθ
x
The figure shows the conversion from one coordinate system to other system
for the main components.

B. I. Neelgar, ECE, GMRIT

Electro-Magnetic Waves & Transmission Lines Unit 1
Lecture Notes 3

DOT products between Unit vectors

. ax ay az aρ aφ ar aθ

ax 1 0 0 φ
cosφ φ
-sinφ θ cosφ
sinθ φ θ cosφ
cosθ φ

ay 1 0 φ
sinφ φ
cosφ θ sinφ
sinθ φ θ sinφ
cosθ φ

az 1 0 0 θ
cosθ θ
-sinθ

aρ 1 0 θ
sinθ θ
cosθ

aφ 1 0 0

ar 1 0

aθ 1

Example : Transform the vector B= yax – xay + zaz into cylindrical coordinates.

Sol : Main components : y = ρsinφ

φ; x = ρcosφ
φ; z=z

φ ax - ρcosφ
B = ρsinφ φay + z az

ρsinφ
Bρ = B•aρ = (ρ φ ax - ρcosφ φay + z az)•aρ
= ρsinφφ ax •aρ - ρcosφφ ay •aρ + z az •aρ
= ρsinφφ cosφφ - ρcosφφ sinφ
φ+0
=0
ρsinφ
Bφ = B•aφ = (ρ φ ax - ρcosφφay + z az)•aφ
= ρsinφφ ax •aφ - ρcosφφ ay •aφ + z az •aφ
= ρsinφφ (-sinφ
φ) - ρcosφφsinφφ+0
ρsin2φ
= -ρ φ - ρcos2φ φ
ρ
= -ρ
ρsinφ
Bz = B•az = (ρ φ ax - ρcosφ φay + z az)•az
= zaz

ρaφ + z az
Thus B = -ρ

B. I. Neelgar, ECE, GMRIT