Coordinate Systems

RECTANGULAR or Cartesian
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL
Choice is based on
symmetry of problem
Examples:
Sheets - RECTANGULAR
Wires/Cables - CYLINDRICAL
Spheres - SPHERICAL
To understand the Electromagnetics, we must know basic vector algebra and
coordinate systems. So let us start the coordinate systems.
Cylindrical Symmetry Spherical Symmetry
Visualization (Animation)
Orthogonal Coordinate Systems:
3. Spherical Coordinates
2. Cylindrical Coordinates
1. Cartesian Coordinates
P (x, y, z)
P (r, , )
P (r, , z)
x
y
z
P(x,y,z)

z
r
x
y
z
P(r, , z)


r
z
y
x
P(r, , )
Rectangular Coordinates
Or
X=r cos ,
Y=r sin ,
Z=z
X=r sin cos ,
Y=r sin sin ,
Z=z cos
Cartesian Coordinates
P(x, y, z)
Spherical Coordinates
P(r, , )
Cylindrical Coordinates
P(r, , z)
x
y
z
P(x,y,z)

z
r
x
y
z
P(r, , z)


r
z
y
x
P(r, , )
Cartesian coordinate system
dx, dy, dz are infinitesimal
displacements along X,Y,Z.
Volume element is given by
dv = dx dy dz
Area element is
da = dx dy or dy dz or dxdz
Line element is
dx or dy or dz
Ex: Show that volume of a cube
of edge a is a
3.

P(x,y,z)
X
Y
Z
3
0 0 0
a dz dy dx dv V
a a
v
a
= = =
} } } }
dx
dy
dz
Cartesian Coordinates
Differential quantities:

Length:


Area:






Volume:
dz z dy y dx x l d
+ + =

dxdy z s d
dxdz y s d
dydz x s d
z
y
x

=
=
=

dxdydz dv =
AREA INTEGRALS
integration over 2 delta distances
dx
dy
Example:
x
y
2
6
3 7
AREA =
} }
7
3
6
2
dx dy
= 16
Note that: z =constant







Cylindrical coordinate system
(r,,z)
X
Y
Z
r

Z
Spherical polar coordinate system
dr is infinitesimal displacement
along r, r d is along and
dz is along z direction.
Volume element is given by
dv = dr r d dz
Limits of integration of r, ,
are
0<r< , 0<z < , o< <2
Ex: Show that Volume of a
Cylinder of radius R and
height H is R
2
H .

is azimuth angle
Cylindrical coordinate system
(r,,z)
X
Y
Z
r

r d
dz
dr
r d
dr
d
Volume of a Cylinder of radius R
and Height H
H R
dz d rdr
dz d dr r dv V
R H
v
2
0
2
0 0
t

t
=
=
= =
} } }
} }
Try yourself:
1) Surface Area of Cylinder = 2RH .
2) Base Area of Cylinder (Disc)=R
2
.
Differential quantities:

Length element:


Area element:






Volume element:
dz a rd a dr a l d
z r
+ u + =
|

|
|
| |
rdrd a s d
drdz a s d
dz rd a s d
z z
r r

=
=
=

dz d dr r dv | =
Limits of integration of r, , are 0<r< , 0<z < , o< <2
Cylindrical Coordinates: Visualization of Volume element
Spherically Symmetric problem
(r,,)
X
Y
Z
r


Spherical polar coordinate system (r,,)
dr is infinitesimal displacement
along r, r d is along and
r sin d is along direction.
Volume element is given by
dv = dr r d r sin d
Limits of integration of r, ,
are
0<r< , 0< < , o< <2
Ex: Show that Volume of a
sphere of radius R is 4/3 R
3
.

P(r, , )
X
Y
Z
r


dr
P
r d
r sin d
is zenith angle( starts from +Z reaches up to Z) ,
is azimuth angle (starts from +X direction and lies in x-y plane only)
r cos
r sin
Volume of a sphere of radius R
3
3
0 0
2
0
2
2
3
4
2 . 2 .
3
sin
sin
R
R
d d dr r
d d dr r dv V
R
v
t t
u u
u u
t t
= =
=
= =
} } }
} }
Try Yourself:
1)Surface area of the sphere= 4R
2
.
Spherical Coordinates: Volume element in space
Points to remember
System Coordinates dl
1
dl
2
dl
3
Cartesian x,y,z dx dy dz
Cylindrical r, ,z dr rd dz
Spherical r,, dr rd r sind


Volume element : dv = dl
1
dl
2
dl
3
If Volume charge density depends only on r:




Ex: For Circular plate: NOTE
Area element da=r dr d in both the
coordinate systems (because =90
0
)


dr r dv Q
v l
} }
= =
2
4t
Quiz: Determine
a) Areas S1, S2 and S3.
b) Volume covered by these surfaces.
Radius is r,
Height is h,
X
Y
Z
r
d
S1
S2
S3
2 1
| | | s s
h
r
dz rd dr V b
r
rd dr S iii
rh dz dr S ii
rh dz rd S i a
Solution
h r
r
r h
h
) (
2
. . )
) (
2
. 3 )
2 )
) ( 1 ) )
:
1 2
2
0 0
1 2
2
0
0 0
1 2
0
2
1
2
1
2
1
| | |
| | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
= =
= =
= =
= =
} } }
} }
} }
} }
Vector Analysis
What about A.B=?, AxB=? and AB=?
Scalar and Vector product:
A.B=ABcos Scalar or
(A
x
i+A
y
j+A
z
k).(B
x
i+B
y
j+B
z
k)=A
x
B
x
+A
y
B
y
+A
z
B
z

AxB=ABSin n Vector
(Result of cross product is always
perpendicular(normal) to the plane
of A and B
A
B
n
Gradient, Divergence and Curl

Gradient of a scalar function is a
vector quantity.
Divergence of a vector is a scalar
quantity.
Curl of a vector is a vector
quantity.


f V
Vector
xA
A
V
V.
The Del Operator
Fundamental theorem for
divergence and curl
Gauss divergence
theorem:




Stokes curl theorem

} }
= V
v s
da V dv V . ) . (
} }
= V
s l
dl V da V x . ). (
Conversion of volume integral to surface integral and vice verse.
Conversion of surface integral to line integral and vice verse.
Gradient:
gradT: points the direction of maximum increase of the
function T.

Divergence:

Curl:
Operator in Cartesian Coordinate
System
k
z
T
j
y
T
i
x
T
T


c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
= V
y
z x
V
V V
V
x y z
c
c c
V = + +
c c c
k
y
V
x
V
j
x
V
z
V
i
z
V
y
V
V
x
y
z x
y
z


|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

c
c
+
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

c
c
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

c
c
= V

k V j V i V V
z y x


+ + =
where
as
Operator in Cylindrical Coordinate
System

Volume Element:


Gradient:



Divergence:




Curl:
dz rdrd dv | =
z
z
T

T
r
r

r
T
T
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
= V |
|
1
( )
1 1
z
r
V
V
V rV
r r r z

c
c c
V = + +
c c c
( ) z
V
rV
r r

r
V
z
V
r
z
V
V
r
V
r z r z
|
|
.
|

\
|
| c
c

c
c
+ |
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

c
c
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

| c
c
= V
|
|
1 1

z V V r V V
z r

+ + = |
|
Operator I n Spherical Coordinate System

Gradient :



Divergence:



Curl:
|
| u
u
u

T
sin r

T
r
r

r
T
T
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
= V
1 1
( ) ( )
2
2
sin
1 1 1
sin sin
r
r V
V V
V
r r r r
u
u
u u u
c
c c
V = + +
c c c
( ) ( )
( ) |
u
u
| u |
u
u u
u
|
u
|

V
rV
r r

rV
r
V
sin r
r

V
V sin
sin r
V
r
r
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

c
c
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

c
c
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

c
c
= V
1
1 1 1

| u
| u

V V r V V
r
+ + =
The divergence theorem states that the total outward flux
of a vector field F through the closed surface S is the
same as the volume integral of the divergence of F.
Closed surface S, volume V,
outward pointing normal

Basic Vector Calculus
2
( )
0, 0
( ) ( )
F G G F F G
F
F F F
|
V = V V
VV = V V =
V V = V V V
Divergence or Gauss Theorem
( )
}} }}}
= V
S V
S d F dV F

dS n S d

=
Oriented boundary
L
n

Stokes Theorem
( )
}} }
= V
S L
l d F S d F

Stokess theorem states that the circulation of a vector field F
around a closed path L is equal to the surface integral of the curl
of F over the open surface S bounded by L