Section 1.

1.5 Coordinate Transformation of Vector Components

Very often in practical problems, the components of a vector are known in one coordinate
system but it is necessary to find them in some other coordinate system.
For example, one might know that the force f acting in the x1 direction has a certain
value, Fig. 1.5.1 this is equivalent to knowing the x1 component of the force, in an
x1 x 2 coordinate system. One might then want to know what force is acting in some
other direction for example in the x1 direction shown this is equivalent to asking what
the x1 component of the force is in a new x1 x 2 coordinate system.

x2

x1 component
of force

x2

x1

x1
x1 component
of force

Figure 1.5.1: a vector represented using two different coordinate systems

The relationship between the components in one coordinate system and the components
in a second coordinate system are called the transformation equations. These
transformation equations are derived and discussed in what follows.

1.5.1

Rotations and Translations

Any change of Cartesian coordinate system will be due to a translation of the base
vectors and a rotation of the base vectors. A translation of the base vectors does not
change the components of a vector. Mathematically, this can be expressed by saying that
the components of a vector a are e i a , and these three quantities do not change under a
translation of base vectors. Rotation of the base vectors is thus what one is concerned
with in what follows.

1.5.2

Components of a Vector in Different Systems

Vectors are mathematical objects which exist independently of any coordinate system.
Introducing a coordinate system for the purpose of analysis, one could choose, for
example, a certain Cartesian coordinate system with base vectors e i and origin o, Fig.

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Section 1.5

1.5.2. In that case the vector can be written as u u1e1 u 2 e 2 u 3 e 3 , and u1 , u 2 , u 3 are
its components.
Now a second coordinate system can be introduced (with the same origin), this time with
base vectors ei . In that case, the vector can be written as u u1e1 u 2 e2 u 3 e3 , where
u1 , u 2 , u 3 are its components in this second coordinate system, as shown in the figure.
Thus the same vector can be written in more than one way:
u u1e1 u 2 e 2 u 3e 3 u1e1 u 2 e2 u 3 e3
The first coordinate system is often referred to as the ox1 x 2 x3 system and the second as
the ox1 x 2 x3 system.
x2

x2

u1
u 2

x1

e2

e1

u2

x1

u1

Figure 1.5.2: a vector represented using two different coordinate systems

Note that the new coordinate system is obtained from the first one by a rotation of the
base vectors. The figure shows a rotation about the x3 axis (the sign convention for
rotations is positive counterclockwise).
Two Dimensions
Concentrating for the moment on the two dimensions x1 x 2 , from trigonometry (refer to
Fig. 1.5.3),

u u1e1 u2e 2

OB AB e1 BD CP e 2

cos u1 sin u2 e1 sin u1 cos u2 e 2

and so

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Section 1.5

u1 cos u1 sin u 2
u 2 sin u1 cos u 2

vector components in
first coordinate system

vector components in
second coordinate system

In matrix form, these transformation equations can be written as

sin u1
cos u 2

u1 cos
u sin
2
x2

x2

u1

u2

x1

u2

D
A

x1

u1

Figure 1.5.3: geometry of the 2D coordinate transformation

The 2 2 matrix is called the transformation or rotation matrix Q . By pre-

multiplying both sides of these equations by the inverse of Q , Q 1 , one obtains the
transformation equations transforming from u1 u 2 to u1 u 2 :
T

u1 cos
u sin
2

sin u1
cos u 2

An important property of the transformation matrix is that it is orthogonal, by which is

meant that

Q Q
1

Orthogonality of Transformation/Rotation Matrix

(1.5.1)

Three Dimensions

It is straight forward to show that, in the full three dimensions, Fig. 1.5.4, the components
in the two coordinate systems are related through

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Section 1.5

u1 cos( x1 , x1 ) cos( x1 , x 2 ) cos( x1 , x3 ) u1

u cos( x , x ) cos( x , x ) cos( x , x ) u
2
1
2
2
2
3 2
2
u 3 cos( x3 , x1 ) cos( x3 , x 2 ) cos( x3 , x3 ) u 3
where cos( xi , x j ) is the cosine of the angle between the xi and x j axes. These nine
quantities are called the direction cosines of the coordinate transformation. Again
denoting these by the letter Q, Q11 cos( x1 , x1 ), Q12 cos( x1 , x2 ) , etc., so that
Qij cos( xi , x j ) ,

(1.5.2)

one has the matrix equations

u1 Q11 Q12
u Q
2 21 Q22
u 3 Q31 Q32

Q13 u1
Q23 u 2
Q33 u 3

or, in element form and short-hand matrix notation,

u i Qij u j

x2

u Qu

x2

x3

(1.5.3)

x3

x1
x1

Figure 1.5.4: two different coordinate systems in a 3D space

Note: some authors define the matrix of direction cosines to consist of the components
Qij cos( xi , x j ) , so that the subscript i refers to the new coordinate system and the j to
the old coordinate system, rather than the other way around as used here.

Transformation of Cartesian Base Vectors

The direction cosines introduced above also relate the base vectors in any two Cartesian
coordinate systems. It can be seen that
e i e j Qij

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(1.5.4)

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Section 1.5

This relationship is illustrated in Fig. 1.5.5 for i 1 .

e2
cos( x1 , x2 ) e1 e2

e1

cos( x1 , x1 ) e1 e1

e1

e3

cos( x1 , x3 ) e1 e3
Figure 1.5.5: direction cosines

Formal Derivation of the Transformation Equations

In the above, the transformation equations u i Qij u j were derived geometrically. They
can also be derived algebraically using the index notation as follows: start with the
relations u u k e k u j ej and post-multiply both sides by e i to get (the corresponding
matrix representation is to the right (also, see Problem 3 in 1.4.3)):
u k e k e i u j ej e i
u k ki u j Qij

u u Q

u i u j Qij

u i Qij u j

u Qu

u Q T u

The inverse equations are {Problem 3}

u i Q ji u j

(1.5.5)

Orthogonality of the Transformation Matrix Q

As in the two dimensional case, the transformation matrix is orthogonal, Q T Q 1 .

This follows from 1.5.3, 1.5.5.
Example

Consider a Cartesian coordinate system with base vectors e i . A coordinate

transformation is carried out with the new basis given by

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Section 1.5

e1 n1(1) e1 n2(1) e 2 n3(1) e 3

e2 n1( 2) e1 n2( 2 ) e 2 n3( 2 ) e 3
e3 n1( 3) e1 n2(3) e 2 n3( 3) e 3

What is the transformation matrix?

Solution
The transformation matrix consists of the direction cosines Qij cos( xi , x j ) e i ej , so
(1)
u1 n1
u n (1)
2 2
u 3 n3(1)

n1( 2 )
n2( 2 )
n3( 2 )

n1(3) u1

n2(3) u 2
n3(3) u 3

1.5.3
1.

2.

3.

Problems

The angles between the axes in two coordinate systems are given in the table below.
x1
x2
x3
o
o
x1
135
60
120 o
x 2
90 o
45 o
45 o
x3
45 o
60 o
120 o

Construct the corresponding transformation matrix Q and verify that it is

orthogonal.
The ox1 x 2 x3 coordinate system is obtained from the ox1 x 2 x3 coordinate system by a
positive (counterclockwise) rotation of about the x3 axis. Find the (full three
dimensional) transformation matrix Q . A further positive rotation about the
x 2 axis is then made to give the ox1x 2 x3 coordinate system. Find the
corresponding transformation matrix P . Then construct the transformation matrix
R for the complete transformation from the ox1 x2 x3 to the ox1x2 x3 coordinate
system.
Beginning with the expression u j e j ei u k ek ei , formally derive the relation

u i Q ji u j ( u Q T u ).

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