PH204: Mathematical Physics

Curvilinear Coordinates: Polar coordinates

D. Narasimha
Department of Physics
Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad
email: d.narasimha@iitdh.ac.in
mobile: 7738128266

Metric
Polar Coordinates [Radial(r), Angular(θ) ]
Unit Vectors Radial êr , Tangential êθ
Derivatives of Unit Vectors
3-D: Spherical Polar coordinates
 Metric & Distances
We are taking Vectors as Physical Quantities (need not be just Physics)
We defined Inner Product A ~† · B
~
p
The real number kAk~ = A ~† · A
~ is the Norm of the vector.
For a Physical Quantity, kAk is the Magnitude (or Length) of the
Vector.
~ + kBk
It follows the Triangular Inequality kAk ~ ≥ kA~ + Bk
~

Cartesian Coordinates provide a nice representation of Vectors as

Physical Variables, though it has its limitations.
The infinitismal vector connecting two neighbouring points is given,
in cartesian coordinates as
~ = dx î + dy ĵ + dz k̂
dx
p
Magnitude of this vector is d`= dx2 + dy 2 + dz 2
In a more general coordinate system d`2 =Σm,n=1,3 gmn dxm dxn
Here the m×n matrix g is called the metric tensor.
In a Orthonormal Curvilinear coordinate system,
d`2 =Σn=1,3 gnn dx2n
e.g. : Spherical Polar Coordinates
d`2 = dr2 + r2 dθ2 + r2 sin2 (θ)dφ2
g11 = 1; g22 = r2 ; g33 = r2 sin(θ)2

Polar Coordinates
Earth’s motion around Sun or swinging Pendulum:
Cartesian coordinates (x,y) inadequate.
Use a Reference Frame with a Pole around which a particle moves.
Origin of this Coordinate system (Pole) same as your favourite Carte-
sian coordinate system.
You fix a Green Reference Line: X–axis - Coordinate called
Angle measured in Anticlockwise direction (θ).
 SI unit radians, but you decide your unit.
Distance from the Origin (Radial Coordinate, r) is a non–negative
number (with your choice of unit).
This is an Orthonormal Coordinate System like Cartesian Coordinate
System.
Direction of Unit Vectos changes with position.

Coordinates are for our convenience - Physical Quantities are the

same, irrespective of the system we use.
So, we should be able to freely choose our Reference Frame and make
transformation from one coordinate system to another.

Transformation between Polar and Cartesian coordinates

A coordinate transformation has to leave the Distances and Angles
between vectors invariant.
 Q

Cartesian and Poar Coordinates of a Point Q in a system with origin at pole and
Polar Axis along the cartesian X–axis
The point Q represents a Physical Variable like Position of a Particle.
In the Cartesian cocordinates, it has coordinates Q(x,y).
This means: Distance from X–axis = y. Distance from Y–axis = x

In the Polar Coordinate system with same Origin,

Coordinates are Q(r,θ)
Distance of point Q from origin = r
Angle of the line pQ from polar axis (X–axis), Anticlockwise is θ.
From the figure, Position Vector of Point Q:
~r = rêr (1)
p y
r= x2 + y 2 tan(θ) = (2)
x
x = rcos(θ) y = rsin(θ) (3)
êr is a Unit Vector along the Radial Direction.
Using eqn(3), êr = cos(θ) î + sin(θ) ĵ (4).
Unit Vector Normal to êr is the Unit Vector along Tangential Direction
êθ = -sin(θ) î + cos(θ) ĵ (5).
From eqns (4) & (5),
dêr
dθ = êθ (6)
dêθ
dθ = -êr (7)
dêr dêθ
dr = dr = 0 (8)

Motion in Polar Coordinates

Consider a particle with Position Vector ~r at some time t.
It moves along some direction by a Displacement Vector ∆~r.
∆~r = ∆r êr + r ∆θ êθ
r: Radial Position of the Particle
θ: Angular Position of the Particle
Angular Velocity: ω = dθ dt
 Radial Velocity : vr = dr dt
(here we have the scalar quantity r, the radial distance from the
Origin.)
dω d2 θ
Angular Acceleration = dt = dt2

Linear Distance Travelled along the two directions :

∆r and r∆θ
The Two Directions (Radial and Angular) CHANGE with
Position
If the angle θ of a Particle is changing with time due to spin of the
particle around the origin at the rate ω radian per second,
dêr dêr dθ
dt = dθ dt = ω êθ (9)
dêθ dêθ dθ
dt = dθ dt = -ω êr (10)
The Velocity Vector of the particle is

d~r dr dêr dr dθ
= êr + r = êr + r êθ (11)
dt dt dt dt dt
More interesting is the Acceleration Vector in Polar Coordinates:

2
d2~r d2 r d2 θ

dr dθ dθ
= 2 êr + 2 êθ + r 2 êθ − r êr (12)
dt2 dt dt dt dt dt

Interpretation of this equation:

We are studying the motion of a particle from a point called Origin.
The first term at right side tells that particle can move away
from the origin [radial coordinate r wil increase] if you apply a
force
The first term at right side tells that particle can move away
from the origin [radial coordinate r wil increase] if you apply a
2
force F~ = m ddt2r êr along the radial direction [like a positive charge
repelling a positive charge or unlike charges attract and they come
closer].
The third term changes the spinning rate.
The fourth term is called CENTRIPETAL FORCE, any force
applied which keeps a particle moving around a fixed point at con-
stant angular speed. For the Sun-Earth sytem, Gravitational Attrac-
tion between Sun and Earth is the Centripetal force that keeps the
Sun Earth distance nearly constant while earth is orbiting around the
Sun.

If you want to describe the motion of a particle in a Spinning coor-

dinate system, purely due to the non–inertial nature of your Refer-
ence Frame, you have to add the second term here (called Coriolis
Force) and the last term (Centrifugal Force).

Spherical Polar Coordinate

In Spherical Polar Coordinate system, you fix your z–axis as the first
Reference Axis.
Perpendicular to the z–axis, you have the xy plane, where you select
the x-axis as the second Reference Axis.
 You have the following three orthonormal curvilinear coordinates to
describe any Position Vector ~r:
r, the Radial distance from the Origin.
θ, Polar Angle: The angle from the z-axis to the Position Vector ~r.
You Project the Position vector onto the xy plane. (i.e. Take only
the x- and y- coordinates of the Vector).
The Angle from the x-axis to the Projection vector, measured Anti-
clockwise, is the Azimuthal Angle φ.
Elemental distance:

d`2 = dr2 + r2 dθ2 + r2 sin2 (θ)dφ2

The metric tensor:

g11 = 1; g22 = r2 ; g33 = r2 sin2 (θ)
z = r cos(θ)
x = r sin(θ) cos(φ)
 y = r sin(θ) sin(φ)
It is easy to write the unit vectors
êr =î sin(θ) cos(φ) + ĵ sin(θ) sin(φ) + k̂ cos(θ)

êθ =î cos(θ) cos(φ) + ĵ cos(θ) sin(φ) - k̂ sin(θ)

êφ =-î sin(φ) + ĵ cos(φ)
Demonstrate that the Unit Vectors have Unit Length and they are
mutually Orthogonal.