Coordinate Systems

To understand the Electromagnetics, we must know basic vector algebra and

coordinate systems. So let us start the coordinate systems.

COORDINATE SYSTEMS
RECTANGULAR or Cartesian
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL

Choice is based
on symmetry of
problem

Examples:
Sheets - RECTANGULAR
Wires/Cables - CYLINDRICAL
Spheres - SPHERICAL

Cylindrical Symmetry

Spherical Symmetry

Visualization (Animation)

Orthogonal Coordinate Systems:

1. Cartesian Coordinates

z
P(x,y,z)

Or
Rectangular Coordinates
P (x, y, z)

y
x
z

z
P(r, , z)

2. Cylindrical Coordinates
P (r, , z)
X=r cos ,
Y=r sin ,
Z=z
3. Spherical Coordinates

z
r

P (r, , )
X=r sin cos ,
Y=r sin sin ,
Z=z cos

P(r, , )

z
r

P(r, , )

Cartesian Coordinates
P(x, y, z)

P(x,y,z)

y
x

Spherical Coordinates
P(r, , )

Cylindrical Coordinates
P(r, , z)

z
P(r, , z)

Cartesian coordinate system

Z

dz
dy
dx
P(x,y,z)
Y

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 a3.
a

V dv dx dy dz a 3
v

Cartesian Coordinates
Differential quantities:
Length:

dl xdx y dy zdz

Area:

ds x xdydz

ds y y dxdz

ds z zdxdy

Volume:

dv dxdydz

AREA INTEGRALS
integration over 2 delta distances

dy
dx

Example:
y
7 6

AREA =

dy dx
3 2

Note that: z = constant

3

= 16

Cylindrical coordinate system

(r,,z)
Z

Cylindrical
Spherical
polarcoordinate
coordinatesystem
system
(r,,z)
Z
dz

r d
dr

d
r

X
is azimuth angle

dr

r d

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 R2H .

Volume of a Cylinder of radius R

and Height H
V dv r dr d dz
v

rdr d dz
R H
2

Try yourself:
1) Surface Area of Cylinder = 2RH .
2) Base Area of Cylinder (Disc)=R2.

Cylindrical Coordinates: Visualization of Volume element

Differential quantities:
Length
element:

dl a r dr a rd a z dz
Area
element:

dsr ar rddz

ds a drdz

ds z a z rdrd

dv r dr d dz
Volume element:
Limits of integration of r, , are 0<r< , 0<z < , o< <2

Spherically Symmetric problem

(r,,)
Z

r
Y

Spherical polar coordinate system (r,,)

dr is infinitesimal displacement
along r, r d is along and
r sin d is along direction.
P(r, , )
Z
Volume element is given by
dr
dv = dr r d r sin d
P
r cos
r d
Limits of integration of r, ,
r
are
Y 0<r< , 0< < , o< <2
Ex: Show that Volume of a
r sin d

r sin
sphere of radius R is 4/3 R3 .
X
is zenith angle( starts from +Z reaches up to Z) ,
is azimuth angle (starts from +X direction and lies in x-y plane only)

Volume of a sphere of radius R

V dv r dr sin d d
2

r dr sin d d
2

R
4

. 2 . 2 R 3
3
3
Try Yourself:
1)Surface area of the sphere= 4R2 .

Spherical Coordinates: Volume element in space

Points to remember
System

Coordinates dl1 dl2 dl3

Cartesian x,y,z
Cylindrical r, ,z
Spherical r,,

dx dy dz
dr rddz
dr rd r sind

Volume element : dv = dl1 dl2 dl3

If Volume charge density depends only on r:
2

Q dv 4r dr
v

Ex: For Circular plate: NOTE

Area element da=r dr d in both the
coordinate systems (because =900)

Quiz: Determine
a) Areas S1, S2 and S3.
b) Volume covered by these surfaces.
S3
Z

Solution :
2

1 2

ii ) S 2 dr dz rh
0

Radius is r,
Height is h,

a ) i) S1 rd dz rh(2 1 )
S2

S1

2 r

r2
iii ) S 3 dr.rd (2 1 )
2
1 0

Y
d

h 2 r

r2
b) V dr.rd .dz (2 1 )h
2
0 1 0
X

Vector Analysis
What about A.B=?, AxB=? and AB=?
Scalar and Vector product:
A.B=ABcos
Scalar
or
(Axi+Ayj+Azk).(Bxi+Byj+Bzk)=AxBx+AyBy+AzBz
AxB=ABSin n

Vector

(Result of cross product is always

perpendicular(normal) to the plane
of A and B

B
A

Gradient, Divergence and Curl

The Del
Operator

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
. A
xA

Vector

Fundamental theorem for

divergence and curl
Gauss divergence
theorem:

(.V )dv V .da

v

Conversion of volume integral to surface integral and vice verse.

Stokes curl theorem

( x V ).da V .dl
s

Conversion of surface integral to line integral and vice verse.

Operator in Cartesian
Coordinate System
Gradient: T T i T j T k as
x
y
z
gradT: points the direction of maximum
increase of the function T.
Divergence: r V V y Vz
x
V

Curl:

where

V Vx i V y j Vz k

Vz Vy Vx Vz Vy Vx
i
k
V

j
y z z x x y

Operator in Cylindrical
Coordinate System
Volume Element:
Gradient:

dv rdrd dz
T

T
1 T T

z
r

r
r
z

Divergence:

r 1
1 V Vz V V r V V z
V

z
rVr
r r
r
z

Curl:

1 Vz V Vr Vz 1
Vr

V
r
rV z

r z z r r r

Operator In Spherical Coordinate

System

T
1 T
1 T
r

r
r
r sin

Gradient :

Divergence:

r 1 r 2Vr
1 sin V
1 V
V 2

r
r
r sin

r sin

Curl:

1
r sin

sin V V

Vr
1
rV

r r

1 1 Vr
r
rV
r sin r

V Vr r V V

Basic Vector
Calculus
r
r r
r
( F G ) G F
r
0, F
r
r
( F ) ( F )

r
r
F G
0

r
F
2

The divergence
theorem
states that the
Divergence
or Gauss
Theorem
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.

F dSsurface S, volume V,
F dVClosed
V

Stokes
Theorem
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

F dS F d l
S

dS n dS
Oriented
boundary L