Scribd
Upload
131 views

Choice of Suitable Coordinate System: Curvilinear Coordinates

The document discusses curvilinear coordinate systems, providing spherical and cylindrical coordinates as examples. Spherical coordinates locate a point using radial distance (r), polar angle (θ), and azimuthal angle (φ). Cylindrical coordinates use perpendicular distance from the z-axis (s), azimuthal angle (φ), and position on the z-axis (z). Unit vectors and expressions for infinitesimal displacements, volume and area elements are also defined for both systems.

Uploaded by

petrified pixel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
131 views

Choice of Suitable Coordinate System: Curvilinear Coordinates

The document discusses curvilinear coordinate systems, providing spherical and cylindrical coordinates as examples. Spherical coordinates locate a point using radial distance (r), polar angle (θ), and azimuthal angle (φ). Cylindrical coordinates use perpendicular distance from the z-axis (s), azimuthal angle (φ), and position on the z-axis (z). Unit vectors and expressions for infinitesimal displacements, volume and area elements are also defined for both systems.

Uploaded by

petrified pixel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 15

Choice of suitable coordinate system:

Curvilinear coordinates
If for a given problem we make a
suitable choice of coordinate system,
keeping in mind symmetries of the
problem, things can simplify a lot.

Let us consider three independent,


unambiguous and smooth functions
f1(x,y,z), f2(x,y,z), f3(x,y,z), of cartesian
coordinates (x,y,z). We set these
functions equal to parameters u1, u2,
u3 and consider u1=c1 (constant),
u2=c2 (constant) and u3=c3 (constant)
surfaces.
Common intersection of these surfaces defines one point in the space to
which a set of three unique numbers (u1, u2, u3) = (c1, c2, c3) can be assigned.
These numbers are called curvilinear coordinates of that point.
Image Source: http://www.eaeeie.org/theiere/curvilinear/GenCurvilinCoord_files/image003.gif
Choice of suitable coordinate system:
Curvilinear coordinates
Spherical coordinates and Cylindrical coordinates are two important
examples of curvilinear coordinates. See the slides ahead for relation of
these curvilinear coordinates with the cartesian coordinates.

↳
Constant s surface

Constant θ surface
↵
Intersection point
of surfaces
Constant z surface
Constant r surface ↳
↳ Intersection point
of surfaces
↳ ↳
Constant ɸ surface Constant ɸ surface

Constant r, θ and ϕ surfaces in Constant s, ϕ and z surfaces in


Spherical coordinates Spherical coordinates
Image Sources: http://www.math.oregonstate.edu/BridgeBook/_media/book/figures/sphgrid.png?cache=cache&w=281&h=322;
http://www.math.oregonstate.edu/BridgeBook/_media/book/figures/cylgrid.png?cache=cache&w=360&h=390
Spherical polar coordinates
Any point in 3-dimensions can be located using: Radial distance from
the origin: r, Polar angle: θ, Azimuthal angle: ϕ.

Domain: 0 ≤ r <∞, 0 ≤ θ ≤ π, 0 ≤ ϕ < 2π

Relation between cartesian coordinates (x,y,z) and spherical


coordinates (r,θ,ϕ):
x = r sin ✓ cos
y = r sin ✓ sin
z = r cos ✓
p
r= x2 + y 2 + z 2
p !
x 2 + y2
✓ = tan 1
z
⇣y⌘
= tan 1
x
Image Source: http://www.seos-project.eu/modules/laser-rs/images/coordinates-spherical-thumb.png
Unit vectors for Spherical coordinates
Unit vectors pointing in the direction of increase of r,θ,ϕ respectively:
ˆ ˆ
r̂, ✓,
They constitute an orthonormal basis set (just like i, j, k):
r̂ · r̂ = ✓ˆ · ✓ˆ = ˆ · ˆ = 1
r̂ · ✓ˆ = ✓ˆ · ˆ = ˆ · r̂ = 0
Any vector V can be expressed using these as:
V = Vr r̂ + V✓ ✓ˆ + V ˆ
Expression in terms of i,j,k:
r̂ = (sin ✓ cos )î + (sin ✓ sin )ĵ + (cos ✓)k̂
✓ˆ = (cos ✓ cos )î + (cos ✓ sin )ĵ (sin ✓)k̂
ˆ = ( sin )î + (cos )ĵ

ˆ ˆ are not constant, rather they change


Unlike i, j, k, the unit vectors r̂, ✓,
direction as we move in space.
Image Source: http://workshops.boundlessgeo.com/postgis-intro/_images/cartesian_spherical.jpg
Infinitesimal displacements
Infinitesimal displacement in the r̂ direction:
dlr = dr
Infinitesimal displacement in the ✓ˆ direction:
dl✓ = rd✓
ˆ
Infinitesimal displacement in the direction:
dl = r sin ✓ d

General infinitesimal displacement:

dl = dlr r̂ + dl✓ ✓ˆ + dl ˆ
= dr r̂ + rd✓ ✓ˆ + r sin ✓ d ˆ
Volume element in spherical
polar coordinates
𝑑𝑉 = 𝑑𝑙𝑟 𝑑𝑙𝜃 𝑑𝑙𝜑

= 𝑟 2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑑𝑟𝑑𝜃𝑑𝜑
Area element in spherical polar co-ordinates
Area elements depend on the orientation
of surfaces- cannot be generalized

If you are integrating over a


surface of a sphere (r = constant)
𝒅𝒂𝟏 = 𝑑𝑙𝜃 𝑑𝑙𝜑 𝒓ො = 𝑟 2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑑𝜃𝑑𝜑ො𝒓

𝝅
If surface lies in x-y plane (𝜽 = ) =const)
𝟐
෡ = 𝑟𝑑𝑟𝑑𝜑 𝜽
𝒅𝒂𝟐 = 𝑑𝑙𝑟 𝑑𝑙𝜑 𝜽 ෡
Derivatives
Consider a scalar function T and a vector function v = vr r̂ + v✓ ✓ˆ + v ˆ
Cylindrical coordinates
Any point in 3-dimensions can be located using (Perpendicular
distance from the z-axis: s, Azimuthal angle: ϕ, Position on z-axis: z).

Domain: 0 ≤ s <∞, 0 ≤ ϕ < 2π, −∞ ≤ z <∞

Relation between cartesian coordinates (x,y,z) and cylindrical


coordinates (s,ϕ,z):

p
s= x2 + y 2
⇣y⌘
= tan 1
x
z=z
Unit vectors for Cylindrical coordinates
Unit vectors pointing in the direction of increase of s,ϕ,z respectively:
ŝ, ˆ, k̂
They constitute an orthonormal basis set (just like i, j, k):
ŝ · ŝ = ˆ · ˆ = k̂ · k̂ = 1
ŝ · ˆ = ˆ · k̂ = k̂ · ŝ = 0
Any vector V can be expressed using these as:
V = Vs ŝ + V ˆ + Vz k̂
Expression in terms of i,j,k:
ŝ = (cos )î + (sin )ĵ
ˆ = ( sin )î + (cos )ĵ
k̂ = k̂
The unit vectors ŝ, ˆ are not constant--they change direction as we move
in space. However , k̂ as we know, is fixed.
Infinitesimal displacements
Infinitesimal displacement in the ŝ direction:

dls = ds
Infinitesimal displacement in the ˆ direction:
dl = sd

Infinitesimal displacement in the k̂ direction:


dlz = dz

General infinitesimal displacement:


dl = dls ŝ + dl ˆ + dlz k̂
= ds ŝ + sd ˆ + dz k̂
The co-ordinates 𝑠, φ, 𝑧 or (ρ, φ, 𝑧 ) of a general point P are defined by
the intersection of three surfaces

(i) The surface of a right circular cylinder of radius ρ (or ′𝑠′ in left
image) with its axis along the z-axis (surface of constant ρ or s)
(ii) The plane of constant φ
(iii) The plane of constant z.
or, dρ

or, ρ dφ

Volume element in cylindrical


coordinates
𝑑𝑉 = 𝑑𝑙𝑠 𝑑𝑙𝜑 𝑑𝑙𝑧

= 𝑠𝑑𝑠𝑑𝜑𝑑𝑧
Area element in cylindrical co-ordinates

𝒅𝒂 = 𝑧𝑠𝑑𝑠𝑑𝜑
Ƹ
(top of the cylinder)

𝒅𝒂 = 𝑠𝑠𝑑𝑧𝑑𝜑
Ƹ
(wall of the cylinder)
Derivatives
Consider a scalar function T and a vector function

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy