Lecture 3: Coordinate Systems

and Transformations
Spherical coordinates, Constant value surfaces.
Chapter 2: pages 33-49

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014

Spherical Coordinate System

Every vector is given

by 3 components Ar,
A , and A

Position vector has only

an r component (why?)

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014

Why Spherical Coordinates?

Habib Ullah et al., ACES, 2013

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3,

2014
Why Spherical Coordinates? (Cont’d)

E
H

H
H
E E
The direction of wave propagation, the direction of the
electric field, and the direction of the magnetic field form a
right handed coordinate system at every point in space!
@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014
Coordinate Transformation

r  x2  y 2  z 2
z
  arccos
x2  y 2  z 2
 y
  arctan  
x

x  r sin  cos 
y  r sin  sin 
z  r cos

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014

Coordinate Transformation (Cont’d)
z

r cos
P
r
s  r sin  sin  y
r si
co
 
n
in
rs

Remember that =r sin!

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014

Vector Transformation
ar=sin a+cos az
a=cos a- sin az

Substituting for a with

 a=cos ax+ sin ay,
one gets

ar= sin cos ax + sin sin ay
+cos az
a= cos cos ax + cos sin
ay -sin az
a = -sin ax + cos ay

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014

Transformation (Cont’d)
If A=Ar ar+A a+Aa , we can write
A=Ar (sin cos ax + sin sin ay +cos az)+
A (cos cos ax + cos sin ay -sin az) +A(-sin ax + cos ay)
Collecting terms we have
A=(Ar sin cos+ A cos cos -Asin)ax+(Arsin sin + A
cos sin+Acos)ay+(Arcos -A sin) az
In matrix form we have

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014

Transformations (Cont’d)

 A x  sin  cos  cos  cos   sin    A r 

    sin  sin    
A y   cos  sin  cos    A  
 A z   cos   sin  0   A  

with the inverse

 A r   sin  cos  sin  sin  cos    A x 
  
 A    cos  cos  cos  sin   sin    A y 
 A     sin  cos  0   A z 

What is the special property of this matrix?

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014

Constant Value Surfaces

any point P is the intersection of 3 principal planes (constant

coordinate surfaces)

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014

Constant Value Surfaces (Cont’d)

Any point in cylindrical coordinates is the intersection of a

cylinder, a horizontal plane, and a vertical plane.
@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3, 2014
Constant Value Surfaces (Cont’d)

In spherical coordinates, a point is the intersection of a cone, a

sphere, and a vertical plane

@Copyright Dr. Mohamed Bakr, EE 2FH3,

2014