Learning Objectives
- Convert from spherical to rectangular coordinates.
- Convert from rectangular to spherical coordinates.
In the Cartesian coordinate system, the location of a point in space is described using an ordered triple in which each coordinate represents a distance. In the cylindrical coordinate system, location of a point in space is described using two distances ([latex]r[/latex] and[latex]z[/latex]) and an angle measure ([latex]\theta[/latex]). In the spherical coordinate system, we again use an ordered triple to describe the location of a point in space. In this case, the triple describes one distance and two angles. Spherical coordinates make it simple to describe a sphere, just as cylindrical coordinates make it easy to describe a cylinder. Grid lines for spherical coordinates are based on angle measures, like those for polar coordinates.
DEFINITION
In the spherical coordinate system, a point [latex]P[/latex] in space (Figure 1) is represented by the ordered triple [latex](\rho,\theta,\varphi)[/latex] where
- [latex]\rho[/latex] (the Greek letter rho) is the distance between [latex]P[/latex] and the origin [latex](\rho\ne0)[/latex];
- [latex]\theta[/latex] is the same angle used to describe the location in cylindrical coordinates;
- [latex]\varphi[/latex] (the Greek letter phi) is the angle formed by the positive [latex]z[/latex]-axis and line segment [latex]\overline{OP}[/latex], where [latex]O[/latex] is the origin and [latex]0\leq\varphi\leq\pi[/latex].
By convention, the origin is represented as [latex](0, 0, 0)[/latex] in spherical coordinates.
THEOREM: converting among Spherical, cylindrical, and rectangular coordinates
Rectangular coordinates [latex](x, y, z)[/latex] and spherical coordinates [latex](\rho,\theta,\varphi)[/latex] of a point are related as follows:
[latex]\begin{aligned} x&=\rho\sin\varphi\cos\theta \quad \text{These equations are used to convert from spherical coordinates to rectangular coordinates.} \\ y&=\rho\sin\varphi\sin\theta \\ z&=\rho\cos\varphi \\ &\text{and} \\ \rho^2&=x^2+y^2+z^2 \quad \text{These equations are used to convert from rectangular coordinates to spherical coordinates.} \\ \tan\theta&=\frac{y}x \\ \varphi&=\arccos\left(\frac{z}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2+z^2}}\right) \end{aligned}[/latex]
If a point has cylindrical coordinates [latex](r,\theta,z)[/latex], then these equations define the relationship between cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
[latex]\begin{aligned} r&=\rho\sin\varphi \quad \text{These equations are used to convert from spherical coordinates to cylindrical coordinates} \\ \theta&=\theta \\ z&=\rho\cos\varphi \\ &\text{and} \\ \rho&=\sqrt{r^2+z^2} \quad \text{These equations are used to convert from cylindrical coordinates to spherical coordinates} \\ \theta&=\theta \\ \varphi&=\arccos\left(\frac{z}{\sqrt{r^2+z^2}}\right) \end{aligned}[/latex]
The formulas to convert from spherical coordinates to rectangular coordinates may seem complex, but they are straightforward applications of trigonometry. Looking at Figure 2, it is easy to see that [latex]r=\rho\cos\varphi[/latex]. Then, looking at the triangle in the [latex]xy[/latex]-plane with [latex]r[/latex] as its hypotenuse, we have [latex]x=r\cos\theta=\rho\sin\varphi\cos\theta[/latex]. The derivation of the formula for [latex]y[/latex] is similar. Figure 9 in Cylindrical Coordinates also shows that [latex]\rho^2=r^2+z^2=x^2+y^2+z^2[/latex] and [latex]z=\rho\cos\varphi[/latex]. Solving this last equation for [latex]\varphi[/latex] and then substituting [latex]\rho=\sqrt{r^2+z^2}[/latex] (from the first equation) yields [latex]\varphi=\arccos\left(\frac{z}{\sqrt{r^2+z^2}}\right)[/latex]. Also, note that, as before, we must be careful when using the formula [latex]\tan\theta=\frac{y}x[/latex] to choose the correct value of [latex]\theta[/latex].
As we did with cylindrical coordinates, let’s consider the surfaces that are generated when each of the coordinates is held constant. Let [latex]c[/latex] be a constant, and consider surfaces of the form [latex]\rho=c[/latex]. Points on these surfaces are at a fixed distance from the origin and form a sphere. The coordinate [latex]\theta[/latex] in the spherical coordinate system is the same as in the cylindrical coordinate system, so surfaces of the form [latex]\theta=c[/latex] are half-planes, as before. Last, consider surfaces of the form [latex]\varphi=c[/latex]. The points on these surfaces are at a fixed angle from the [latex]z[/latex]-axis and form a half-cone (Figure 3).
Example: converting from spherical coordinates
Plot the point with spherical coordinates [latex]\left(8,\frac{\pi}3,\frac{\pi}6\right)[/latex] and express its location in both rectangular and cylindrical coordinates.
try it
Plot the point with spherical coordinates [latex]\left(2,-\frac{5\pi}6,\frac{\pi}6\right)[/latex] and describe its location in both rectangular and cylindrical coordinates.
Watch the following video to see the worked solution to the above Try IT.
Example: converting from rectangular coordinates
Convert the rectangular coordinates [latex](-1,1,\sqrt6)[/latex] to both spherical and cylindrical coordinates.
Example: identifying surfaces in the spherical coordinate system
Describe the surfaces with the given spherical equations.
- [latex]\theta=\frac{\pi}3[/latex]
- [latex]\varphi=\frac{5\pi}6[/latex]
- [latex]\rho=6[/latex]
- [latex]\rho=\sin\theta\sin\varphi[/latex]
try it
Describe the surfaces defined by the following equations.
- [latex]\rho=13[/latex]
- [latex]\theta=\frac{2\pi}3[/latex]
- [latex]\varphi=\frac{\pi}4[/latex]
Spherical coordinates are useful in analyzing systems that have some degree of symmetry about a point, such as the volume of the space inside a domed stadium or wind speeds in a planet’s atmosphere. A sphere that has Cartesian equation [latex]x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}=c^{2}[/latex] has the simple equation [latex]\rho=c[/latex] in spherical coordinates.
In geography, latitude and longitude are used to describe locations on Earth’s surface, as shown in Figure 9. Although the shape of Earth is not a perfect sphere, we use spherical coordinates to communicate the locations of points on Earth. Let’s assume Earth has the shape of a sphere with radius 4000 mi. We express angle measures in degrees rather than radians because latitude and longitude are measured in degrees.
Let the center of Earth be the center of the sphere, with the ray from the center through the North Pole representing the positive [latex]z[/latex]-axis. The prime meridian represents the trace of the surface as it intersects the [latex]xz[/latex]-plane. The equator is the trace of the sphere intersecting the [latex]xy[/latex]-plane.
Example: converting latitude and longitude to spherical coordinates
The latitude of Columbus, Ohio, is [latex]40^{\small\circ}[/latex] N and the longitude is [latex]83^{\small\circ}[/latex] W, which means that Columbus is [latex]40^{\small\circ}[/latex] north of the equator. Imagine a ray from the center of Earth through Columbus and a ray from the center of Earth through the equator directly south of Columbus. The measure of the angle formed by the rays is [latex]40^{\small\circ}[/latex]. In the same way, measuring from the prime meridian, Columbus lies [latex]83^{\small\circ}[/latex] to the west. Express the location of Columbus in spherical coordinates.
try it
Sydney, Australia is at [latex]34^{\small\circ}[/latex]S and [latex]151^{\small\circ}[/latex]E. Express Sydney’s location in spherical coordinates.
Cylindrical and spherical coordinates give us the flexibility to select a coordinate system appropriate to the problem at hand. A thoughtful choice of coordinate system can make a problem much easier to solve, whereas a poor choice can lead to unnecessarily complex calculations. In the following example, we examine several different problems and discuss how to select the best coordinate system for each one.
Example: choosing the best coordinate system
In each of the following situations, we determine which coordinate system is most appropriate and describe how we would orient the coordinate axes. There could be more than one right answer for how the axes should be oriented, but we select an orientation that makes sense in the context of the problem. Note: There is not enough information to set up or solve these problems; we simply select the coordinate system (Figure 10).
- Find the center of gravity of a bowling ball.
- Determine the velocity of a submarine subjected to an ocean current.
- Calculate the pressure in a conical water tank.
- Find the volume of oil flowing through a pipeline.
- Determine the amount of leather required to make a football.
Watch the following video to see the worked solution to Example: Choosing the Best Coordinate System.
try it
Which coordinate system is most appropriate for creating a star map, as viewed from Earth (see the following figure)?
How should we orient the coordinate axes?
Candela Citations
- CP 2.58. Authored by: Ryan Melton. License: CC BY: Attribution
- CP 2.67. Authored by: Ryan Melton. License: CC BY: Attribution
- Calculus Volume 3. Authored by: Gilbert Strang, Edwin (Jed) Herman. Provided by: OpenStax. Located at: https://openstax.org/books/calculus-volume-3/pages/1-introduction. License: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. License Terms: Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/calculus-volume-3/pages/1-introduction