Calculus 3

Lia Vas

Change in Variables; Cylindrical, Spherical Coordinates

Cylindrical coordinates. Let f (x, y, z) be a function of three variables defined on a solid
region E above the surface z = g(x, y) and below the surface z = h(x, y) with the projection D on
the xy-plane. If the projection D has a representation in the polar coordinates D = { (r, ) |
, r1 () r r2 () }, then the triple integral
Z Z Z

f (x, y, z) dx dy dz =

Z r2 ()

Z h(r,)

r1 ()

g(r,)

f (r cos , r sin , z) dz

r dr

The new coordinates (r, , z) used here are called cylindrical coordinates. The conversion
equations are x = r cos , y = r sin , z = z.

Figure 1: Cylindrical coordinates

General substitution for triple integrals. If Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) are to be changed
to new coordinates (u, v, w) given by
x = g(u, v, w) y = h(u, v, w) z = k(u, v, w),
dx dy dz = |J| du dv dw

then

J=

x
u
y
u
z
u

where J is the Jacobian determinant given by

x
v
y
v
z
v

x
w
y
w
z
w

xu xv xw
= y u yv yw
zu zv zw

Thus,
Z Z Z
E

f (x, y, z) dx dy dz =

Z Z Z

f (x(u, v, w), y(u, v, w), z(u, v, w)) |J|du dv dw

For cylindrical coordinates, you can calculate the Jacobian to be r. This explains the presence of
r in the relevant formula above.

General substitution for double integrals. For double integrals, if Cartesian coordinates
(x, y) are to be changed to new coordinates (u, v) given by x = g(u, v) y = h(u, v), then dxdy =
|J|dudv where the Jacobian determinant J is given by
J=


 x
 u
 y

u

Then

Z Z

f (x, y) dx dy =
D

x
v
y
v

Z Z

xu xv 
.
=
yu yv 

f (x(u, v), y(u, v)) |J|du dv

D

Check that the polar coordinates x = r cos and y = r sin have the Jacobian determinant J = r.
This is the reason why the substitution with polar coordinates yields
Z Z

f (x, y)dxdy =

Z Z

f (r cos , r sin ) r dr d.

Spherical coordinates. Besides cylindrical coordinates, another frequently used coordinates for
triple integrals are spherical coordinates. Spherical coordinates are mostly used for the integrals
over a solid whose definition involves spheres.
If P = (x, y, z) is a point in space and O denotes the origin, let

r denote the length of the vector OP = hx, y, zi, i.e. the distance of the point P = (x, y, z)
from the origin O. Thus,
x2 + y 2 + z 2 = r 2 ;

be the angle between the projection of vector OP = hx, y, zi on the xy-plane and the vector

i (positive x axis); and

be the angle between the vector OP and the vector k (positive z-axis).
With this notation, spherical coordinates are (r, , ). The conversion equations are
x = r cos sin y = r sin sin z = r cos
The Jacobian determinant for the spherical coordinates is r2 sin . Thus,
dx dy dz = r2 sin dr d d.

Figure 2: Spherical coordinates

Practice problems.

1. Evaluate the triple integral

RRR
a)
x2 + y 2 dx dy dz where E is the region that lies inside the cylinder x2 + y 2 = 16
E
and between the planes z = 5 and z = 4.
b)

2 dx dy dz where E is the solid that lies between the cylinders x2 +y 2 = 1 x2 +y 2 = 4

and between the xy-plane and the plane z = x + 2.

c)

RRR

d)

RRR

RRR

E (x

+ y 2 + z 2 ) dx dy dz where E is the unit ball x2 + y 2 + z 2 1.

z dx dy dz where E is the region between the spheres x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 and

x + y 2 + z 2 = 4 in the first octant.
E

2. Find the volume of the solid enclosed by the paraboloids z = x2 + y 2 and z = 36 3x2 3y 2 .
3. Find the volume of the solid enclosed by the paraboloids z = x2 + y 2 and z = 18 x2 y 2 .
4. Use the given transformation to evaluate the integral.
a)

D (3x + 4y) dx dy where D is the region bounded by the lines y = x, y = x 2, y = 2x,

and y = 3 2x. The substitution x = 1/3(u + v), y = 1/3(v 2u) transforms the region
to a rectangle 0 u 2 and 0 v 3.

b)

RR

c)

RR

RR

D xy dx dy where D is the region in the first quadrant bounded by the curves y = x,

y = 3x, y = 1/x, and y = 3/x. The substitution
x
= u/v, y = v transforms the region

into a region with bounds 1 u 3 and u v 3u.

xy dx dy where D is the region in the first quadrant

bounded by the curves y = x,
q

u
y = 3x, y = 1/x, and y = 3/x. The substitution x = v , y = uv transforms the region
into a square 1 u 3 and 1 v 3.
D

5. Find the volume of the ellipsoid x2 /4 + y 2 /9 + z 2 /25 = 1 by using the transformation x = 2u,
y = 3v z = 5w.
Solutions.
1. a) Use cylindrical coordinates. The interior of the circle x2 +y 2 = 16 can
be described by 0
RRR
2 and 0 r 4. The bounds
for Rz are given
by z = 5 and z = 4.
x2 + y 2 dx dy dz =
E
R 2
R4
R 2 R 4 R 4
4 2
64
2
r r dr d dz = 0 d 0 r dr 5 dz = 2 3 (4 + 5) = 384.
0
0 5
b) The region between the circles x2 + y 2 = 1 x2 + y 2 = 4 has 0 2 and 1 r 2.
The bounds for z are xy-plane z = 0 and the plane z = x + 2 which inR Rpolar
coordinates
R
has
the
equation
z
=
r
cos

+
2.
Thus,
using
the
cylindrical
coordinates,
2
dx
dy dz =
E
R 2 R 2 R r cos +2
R 2
R2
R 2
r3
2r dr d dz = 0 d 1 2r dr (r cos + 2) = 0 d (2 3 cos + 2r2 )|21 =
R02 1 014
0 d ( 3 cos + 6) = 12.
2
2
c) Using spherical
coordinates,
0 2,R0 R , and R0 r 1.
E x + 5y +
R
R
R
z 2 dx dy dz = 02 0 01 r2 r2 sin dr d d = 02 d 0 sin d 01 r4 dr = 2( cos )|0 r5 |10 =
2(2) 51 = 4
.
5

RRR

d) Use spherical coordinates. Since the region is in the first octant, 0 R 2R Rand 0 2 .
The bounds for r are determined by the radii of the spheres, so 1 r 2.
E z dx dy dz =
R /2 R /2 R 2
R /2
R /2
R2 3
1 r4 2
2
d 0 cos sin d 1 r dr = 2 2 4 |1 = 15
0
0
1 r cos r sin dr d d = 0
16

2. Use cylindrical coordinates. The paraboloids have the equations z = x2 + y 2 = r2 and z =

36 3x2 3y 2 = 36 3r2 . The first is the lower z-bound and the second is the upper. The
bounds for are 0 2. The paraboloids intersect in a circle. The projection of the circle
in xy-plane determines the r-bounds. The intersection is when 36 3r2 = r2 36 = 4r2
9 = r2 r = 3 (negative solution is not relevant). Thus, the r-bounds are 0 r 3.
R
R
RRR
R R R
2
r dr d dz = 02 d 03 r dr(36 3r2 r2 ) =
The volume is V =
dxdydz = 02 03 r363r
2
2(18r2 r4 )|30 = 2(162 81) = 162.
3. Very similar to the previous problem. The z-bounds are x2 +y 2 = r2 z 18x2 y 2 = 18r2 .
The bounds for are 0 2. The intersection of paraboloids is when 18 r2 = r2
18 = 2r2 9 = r2 r = 3 (negative solution is not relevant). Thus, the r-bounds are
R
R
RRR
R R R
2
r dr d dz = 02 d 03 r dr(18
0 r 3. The volume is V =
dxdydz = 02 03 r18r
2
4
r2 r2 ) = 2(9r2 r2 )|30 = 2(81 81
) = 81.
2


RR
xu xv   1/3 1/3  1 2
 = 9 + 9 = 31 .
=
4. a) Calculate the Jacobian J =
D (3x + 4y) dx dy =



2/3 1/3
yu yv
R2R3
1
1 R2
v2
4v 2
8uv 3
1 R2
9
4
0 0 (u + v + 3 (v 2u)) 3 du dv = 3 0 (uv + 2 + 6 3 )|0 du = 3 0 (3u + 2 + 6 8u) du =
1
11
(6 + 9 + 12 16) = 3
3







 x

=  u
 yu
R3R3 u

xv
yv

R 3 R 3u u 1
xu xv   1/v u/v 2  1 R R

 = v.
b) The Jacobian is J =
=
xy
dx
dy
=
D
1
u v v v du dv =

1
yu yv   0

u2 3
R3
R
3u = 3 udu ln 3 = ln
|
=
4
ln
udu
ln
v|
3
3 = 2 ln 3 = 2.197
1
1
u
2 1

c) The Jacobian is J
R 3 R 3 qu
1

uv

1
2v

du dv =

1 2v

du dv =


u 

2 v 3  = 1 + 1

u
4v
4v


2 v
u2 3
| ln v|31 = 2 ln 3 = 2.197
4 1


 1
 2 uv

 v
 2 u

1
.
2v

RR
D

xy dx dy =

5. The substitution x = 2u, y = 3v and z = 5w

 converts the ellipsoid into a sphere of radius
 2 0 0 


1. The Jacobian of the substitution is J =  0 3 0  = 30. Thus, the volume is equal to


 0 0 5 
RRR
RRR
V =
dx dy dz =
30 du dv dw. Use the spherical coordinates now. The bounds are
0 R 2,
0 , and 0 r
1 and
the Jacobian
is r2 sin . Thus, the volume
RR
R
R
R
3
2

1
is V =
30 r2 sin dr d d = 30 0 d 0 sin d 0 r2 dr = 30 2 ( cos )|0 r3 |10 =
120 13 = 40.