QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS ON COORDINATE SYSTEMS

EXAMPLES OF CONVERTING A POINT FROM ONE

COORDINATE SYSTEM TO ANOTHER

Question 1

(i) Find the Cartesian or Rectangular coordinates of the point

⇡ ⇡
with Spherical coordinates (1, , ).
2 6

(ii) Find the Spherical coordinates of the point with

p
Cartesian coordinates ( 1, 1, 2 ).

⇡ ⇡
(iii) Convert the Spherical coordinates (1, , ) to
3 3
Cartesian coordinates and then to Cylindrical coordinates.

SOLUTIONS

(i) Now, to convert from Spherical coordinates to Cartesian or

Rectangular coordinates we have that
1
 ( ⇢, ✓, ) ) ( x, y, z ). Therefore,

x = ⇢ sin cos ✓; y = ⇢ sin sin ✓; z = ⇢ cos

⇡ ⇡
We have that ⇢ = 1, ✓ = and = .
2 6

⇡ ⇡ 1
So, x = 1 ⇥ sin ⇥ cos = 1 ⇥ ⇥ 0 = 0,
6 2 2
⇡ ⇡ 1 1
y = 1 ⇥ sin ⇥ sin = 1⇥ ⇥1 = and
6 2 2 2
p p
⇡ 3 3
z = 1 ⇥ cos = 1⇥ = .
6 2 2
p
1 3
Therefore, the Cartesian coordinates is ( 0, 2, 2 ).

(ii) Now, to convert from Cartesian coordinates to Spherical

coordinates to we have that

( x, y, z ) ) ( ⇢, ✓, ). Therefore,

⇢2 = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 .

We use trigonometry to find and ✓ :

2
 !
y 1 z
tan ✓ = ; = cos p .
x x2 + y2 + z2

p
We have that x = 1, y = 1 and z = 2.

q p p
So, ⇢ = 2 2
( 1) + (1) + ( 2
2) = 1 +1 + 2
p
= 4 = 2.

NOTE: ⇢ is positive and cannot be negative, since it represents

the distance from the origin to a point P. So we disregard the neg-
ative square root.

Now,

! p !
1 z 1 2
= cos p = cos
x2 + y 2 + z 2 ⇢

p !
1 2 3⇡ 5⇡
= cos = or (135 or 225 ,
2 4 4
respectively).

3⇡
However, since 0   ⇡ then we choose = .
4

3
[ Please see notes on Spherical coordinates to confirm ].

⇣ ⌘ ✓ ◆
y 1 y 1 1
We now have that tan ✓ = ) ✓ = tan = tan
x x 1
3⇡ 7⇡
= tan 1 ( 1 ) = or (135 or 315 ,
4 4
respectively).

However, since the point ( 1, 1) lies in the second quadrant

3⇡
then we choose ✓ = .
4
3⇡ 3⇡
Therefore, the Spherical coordinates is ( 2, 4 , 4 ).

(iii) Now, to convert from Spherical coordinates to Cartesian

coordinates, we have:

( ⇢, ✓, ) ) ( x, y, z ). Therefore,

x = ⇢ sin cos ✓; y = ⇢ sin sin ✓; z = ⇢ cos

⇡ ⇡
We have that ⇢ = 1, ✓ = and = .
3 3

4
 p p
⇡ ⇡ 3 1 3
So, x = 1 ⇥ sin ⇥ cos = 1⇥ ⇥ = ,
3 3 2 2 4
p p
⇡ ⇡ 3 3 3
y = 1 ⇥ sin ⇥ sin = 1⇥ ⇥ = and
3 3 2 2 4
⇡ 1 1
z = 1 ⇥ cos = 1⇥ = .
3 2 2
p
3 3 1
Therefore, the Cartesian coordinates is ( 4 , 4, 2 ).

To convert from Cartesian coordinates to Cylindrical coordinates,

we have

( x, y, z ) ) ( r, ✓, z ). Therefore,

y
r 2 = x2 + y 2 , tan ✓ = and z = z.
x

Therefore, we have that

v
u p !2 ✓ ◆2 r r
u 3 3 3 9 12
r=t + = + =
4 4 16 16 16

p p
2 3 3
= = .
4 2

5
Now,
!
y ⇣y ⌘ 3
1 1
tan ✓ = ) ✓ = tan = tan p4
x x 3
4
✓ ◆
3 1
p ⇡ 4⇡
1 p
tan = tan 3 = or (60 or 240 ,
3 3 3
respectively).

p !
3 3
However, since the point , lies in the first quadrant
4 4
⇡ 1
then we choose ✓ = . Now, z = .
3 2

p
3 ⇡ 1
Therefore, the Cylindrical coordinates is ( 2 , 3, 2 ).

NOTE: Alternatively, we can convert directly from Spherical

coordinates to Cylindrical coordinates by using the
conversion :

r = ⇢ sin ; ✓ = ✓; z = ⇢ cos .

6
 So, we have

( ⇢, ✓, ) ) ( r, ✓, z ).
⇡ ⇡
We have that ⇢ = 1, ✓ = and = .
3 3

Therefore,
p p
⇡ 3 3 ⇡
r = 1 ⇥ sin =1 ⇥ = , ✓ = and
3 2 2 3
⇡ 1 1
z = 1 ⇥ cos = 1⇥ = .
3 2 2
p
3 ⇡ 1
Therefore, the Cylindrical coordinates is ( 2 , 3, 2 ).

EXAMPLES OF CONVERTING AN EQUATION FROM ONE

COORDINATE SYSTEM TO ANOTHER

Question 2

(a) Find an equation in Cylindrical coordinates for the

Rectangular equation x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 5.

(b) Find an equation in Cartesian coordinates for the

⇡
Cylindrical equation ✓ = .
3
7
(c) Find an equation in Spherical coordinates for the

Cartesian equation x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 4.

(d) Find an equation in Cartesian coordinates for the

⇡
Spherical equation = .
3

SOLUTIONS

(a) Now, to convert from Rectangular coordinates to Cylindrical

coordinates, in terms of an equation, we use the conversion
p
r= x2 + y 2 ) r 2 = x2 + y 2 .

Therefore, the Cylindrical equation is r2 + z 2 = 5.

(b) Now, to convert from Cylindrical coordinates to Cartesian

coordinates, in terms of an equation, we use the conversion
y ⇣ ⌘
1 y ⇡
tan ✓ = ) tan = ✓ = .
x x 3

⇡ p
Now, note that tan = tan 60 = 3 .
3

8
 y ⇡ y p p
Therefore, we have that = tan ) = 3 ) y = 3x.
x 3 x
p
Therefore, the Cartesian equation is y = 3 x .

(c) Now, to convert from Cartesian coordinates to Spherical

coordinates, in terms of an equation, we use the conversion
p
⇢2 = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 ) ⇢ = x2 + y 2 + z 2 .

We have that
p
⇢2 = 4 ) ⇢ = + 4 = +2.

Thus, the Spherical equation is ⇢ = 2.

(d) Now, to convert from Spherical coordinates to Cartesian

coordinates, in terms of an equation, we use the conversion
!
z
= cos 1 p .
2
x + y +z2 2

!
1 z ⇡
Now, = cos p = )
x2 + y 2 + z 2 3
!
1 z ⇡ z ⇡
cos p = ) p = cos
x2 + y 2 + z 2 3 x2 + y 2 + z 2 3

9
 z 1 p
) p = ) 2z = x2 + y 2 + z 2
x2 + y 2 + z 2 2

) 4z 2 = x2 + y 2 + z 2 ) x2 + y 2 + z 2 4z 2 = 0

) x2 + y 2 3z 2 = 0.

Hence, the Cartesian equation is x2 + y 2 3z 2 = 0.

10