Chapter 1: Algebra, Vectors and Fields

1.1 Vector Algebra

1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System
1.3 Cylindrical and Spherical Coordinate Systems
1.4 Scalar and Vector Fields

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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System
(1) Cartesian Coordinate System
z
az
A point is defined by three mutually ay
az ax z
orthogonal planes
𝑥 = constant
𝑦 = constant O
ay y
𝑧 = constant ax x
Right-handed system y
𝐚x × 𝐚 𝑦 = 𝐚z
𝐚y × 𝐚 z = 𝐚x x
𝐚z × 𝐚 x = 𝐚y

𝐚x , 𝐚y , 𝐚z are uniform unit vectors:

the direction of each unit vector
is same everywhere in space

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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System
(2) Position and Distance Vectors
𝑧
Two points: P1 x1 , y1 , z1 , P2 (x2 , y2 , z2 ) 𝐑12 P2

P1
𝐫2
𝐫1
Position vectors: 𝐫1 , 𝐫2 𝑂 𝑦

Distance vector from P1 to P2 : 𝑥

𝐑12 = 𝐫2 − 𝐫1
𝐑12 = x2 𝐚𝑥 +y2 𝐚𝑦 + z2 𝐚𝑧 − (x1 𝐚𝑥 + y1 𝐚𝑦 + z1 𝐚𝑧 )
= (x2 − x1 )𝐚𝑥 + (y2 − y1 )𝐚𝑦 + (z2 − z1 )𝐚𝑧

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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System
(2) Position and Distance Vectors

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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System: Examples
P1.8 Geometrical computations in Cartesian coordinates. Three points are
given by A(12, 0, 0), B(0, 15, 0), and C(0, 0, -20) Find the following:

(a) the distance from B to C

𝐑 𝐵𝐶 = (0 − 0)𝐚𝑥 + (0 − 15)𝐚𝑦 + (−20 − 0)𝐚𝑧 = −15𝐚𝑦 −20𝐚𝑧
𝐑 𝐵𝐶 = 152 + 202 = 25

(b) the component of the vector from A to C along the vector from B to C
𝐑 𝐵𝐶
𝐑𝐴𝐶 ⋅ 𝐚𝐵𝐶 = 𝐑𝐴𝐶 ⋅
𝐑 𝐵𝐶
𝐑𝐴𝐶 = (0 − 12)𝐚𝑥 + (0 − 0)𝐚𝑦 + (−20 − 0)𝐚𝑧 = −12𝐚𝑥 −20𝐚𝑧
−15𝐚𝑦 −20𝐚𝑧 400
𝐑𝐴𝐶 ⋅ 𝐚𝐵𝐶 = −12𝐚𝑥 −20𝐚𝑧 ⋅ =
25 25

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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System: Examples
P1.8 Geometrical computations in Cartesian coordinates. Three points are
given by A(12, 0, 0), B(0, 15, 0), and C(0, 0, -20) Find the following:

(c) the perpendicular distance from A to the line through B and C

Area of ACBD = Area of AEFD (parallelogram, rectangle)
Area of ACBD = 𝐑𝐴𝐶 × 𝐑 𝐵𝐶
Area of AEFD = 𝐑𝐴𝐸 𝐑 𝐸𝐹 = 𝐑𝐴𝐸 𝐑 𝐵𝐶 𝑧

Area of ACBD 𝐑 𝐴𝐶 ×𝐑 𝐵𝐶 𝐶 𝐑 𝐵𝐶
𝐑𝐴𝐸 = =
𝐑 𝐵𝐶 𝐑 𝐵𝐶 𝐸
𝐑𝐴𝐶
−12𝐚𝑥 −20𝐚𝑧 × −15𝐚𝑦 −20𝐚𝑧 𝑂 𝐵
𝐑𝐴𝐸 =
𝟐𝟓 𝑦
−12𝐚𝑥 −20𝐚𝑧 × −15𝐚𝑦 −20𝐚𝑧 𝐴 𝐹
𝐑𝐴𝐸 =
𝟐𝟓
𝑥
−300𝐚𝑥 −240𝐚𝑦 −180𝐚𝑧
𝐑𝐴𝐸 = = 12 2
25 𝐷
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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System
(3) Differential Length Vector (𝑑𝐥)

Incrementing the coordinates of P

by infinitesimal amounts
𝑑𝐥 = 𝑑𝑥𝐚𝑥 + 𝑑𝑦𝐚𝑦 + 𝑑𝑧𝐚𝑧

Differential length vector at a point on a curve

y = f(x)
dl z = constant plane
dy = f (x) dx dz = 0
dx

𝑑𝐥 = 𝑑𝑥𝐚𝑥 + 𝑑𝑦𝐚𝑦 = 𝑑𝑥𝐚𝑥 + 𝑓′(𝑥)𝑑𝑥𝐚𝑦

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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System
Finding Unit Vector Normal to a Surface

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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System: Examples
D1.5 Find the differential length vector along the line and having the
projection 𝑑𝑧 on the z-axis

(a) 𝑥 = 3, 𝑦 = −4
𝑑𝑥 = 0, 𝑑𝑦 = 0, 𝑑𝑧 = 𝑑𝑧
∴ 𝑑𝐥 = 𝑑𝑧𝐚𝑧

(b) 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 0, 𝑦 + 𝑧 = 1
𝑑𝑥 + 𝑑𝑦 = 0, 𝑑𝑦 + 𝑑𝑧 = 0
𝑑𝑥 = −𝑑𝑦 = 𝑑𝑧, 𝑑𝑦 = −𝑑𝑧
∴ 𝑑𝐥 = 𝐚𝑥 − 𝐚𝑦 + 𝐚𝑧 𝑑𝑧

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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System: Examples
D1.5 Find the differential length vector along the line and having the
projection 𝑑𝑧 on the z-axis

(c) Line passing through (0, 2, 0) and (0, 0, 1)

𝑥 = 0, 𝑑𝑦 = 0 − 2, 𝑑𝑧 = 1 − 0
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑧
𝑑𝑥 = 0, =
−2 1
𝑑𝑥 = 0, 𝑑𝑦 = −2𝑑𝑧
∴ 𝑑𝐥 = −2𝑑𝑧𝐚𝑦 + 𝑑𝑧𝐚𝑧 = −2𝐚𝑦 + 𝐚𝑧 𝑑𝑧

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1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System
(4) Differential Surface Vector (𝑑𝑺)

Parallelogram area
𝑑𝑆 = 𝑑𝐥1 × 𝑑𝐥1 = 𝑑𝐥1 𝑑𝐥2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼

Orientation of the surface is defined

uniquely by the normal ±𝐚𝑛 to the surface

𝑑𝐒 = ± 𝑑𝐥1 × 𝑑𝐥1 𝐚𝑛 = ± 𝑑𝐥1 × 𝑑𝐥1

For example, in Cartesian coordinate, 𝑑𝐒 in any plane parallel to the

𝑥𝑦 plane is
az
𝑑𝐒 = ±𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝐚𝑧 = ± 𝑑𝑥𝐚𝑥 × 𝑑𝑦𝐚𝑥 dy
dx dS y

x 11
1.2 Cartesian Coordinate System
(5) Differential Volume (𝑑𝑣)

Parallelepiped volume
𝑑𝑣 = 𝑑𝐥3 ⋅ 𝑑𝐥1 × 𝑑𝐥1

In Cartesian coordinate
𝐚𝑧 z y
𝑑𝑣 = 𝑑𝑧𝐚𝑧 ⋅ 𝑑𝑥𝐚𝑥 × 𝑑𝑦𝐚𝑦 𝐚𝑦
𝑑𝑣 = 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑧 dz dy x

dx 𝐚𝑥

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