Introductory Concepts, Vector

Fields and
Coordinate Systems
Outline
Introductory Concepts
Vector Fields
Coordinate Systems
Scalar and Vector Fields
A scalar field is a function that gives us a
single value of some variable for every
point in space.

 Examples: voltage, current, energy,

temperature

A vector is a quantity which has both a

magnitude and a direction in space.
 Examples: velocity, momentum, acceleration
and force
Example of a Scalar Field
Scalar Fields

e.g. Temperature: Every location has

associated value (number with units)
5
Scalar Fields - Contours

• Colors represent surface temperature

• Contour lines show constant temperatures
6
Vector Fields
Vector (magnitude, direction) at every
point in space

Example: Velocity vector field - jet stream

7
Examples of Vector Fields
Examples of Vector Fields
Examples of Vector Fields
QUESTION
 Is electric field a scalar/vector?

VECTOR
 VECTOR REPRESENTATION
3 PRIMARY COORDINATE SYSTEMS:

• RECTANGULAR
Choice is based on
symmetry of problem
• CYLINDRICAL

• SPHERICAL
Examples:
Sheets - RECTANGULAR

Wires/Cables - CYLINDRICAL

Spheres - SPHERICAL
CARTESIAN COORDINATES
CYLINDRICAL CO-ORDINATES
SPHERICAL CO-ORDINATE SYSTEM
SPHERICAL CO-ORDINATES
Orthogonal Coordinate Systems: (coordinates mutually perpendicular)
Cartesian Coordinates z
P(x,y,z)
y
Rectangular Coordinates
P (x,y,z) x

z
z
P(r, Φ, z)
Cylindrical Coordinates
P (r, Φ, z) r y
x Φ

z
Spherical Coordinates P(r, θ, Φ)
θ r
P (r, Θ, Φ)

Φ
y
x

Page 108
 z z
P(r, θ, Φ)
Cartesian Coordinates P(x,y,z)
θ r P(x,y,z) y

y x
x Φ

Spherical Coordinates Cylindrical Coordinates

P(r, θ, Φ) z P(r, θ, z)

z
P(r, Φ, z)

r y
x Φ
Vector Representation z
z1

Z plane
Unit (Base) vectors

x plane ne
A unit vector aA along A is a vector la
yp
whose magnitude is unity ẑ ŷ y1
 x̂ Ay
y
 A Ax
a  x1
A
x
Unit vector properties
xˆ yˆ  zˆ
xˆ xˆ  yˆ yˆ  zˆ zˆ 1
yˆ zˆ  xˆ
xˆ yˆ  yˆ zˆ  zˆ xˆ 0
zˆ xˆ  yˆ
Page 109
Vector Representation
z
 representation
Vector
z1
A  xˆAx  yˆ Ay  zˆAz
Z plane 
Magnitude of A
A( x1 , y1 , z1 )
x plane
    Az yp
la ne

A  A A  Ax2  Ay2  Az2 ẑ ŷ y1

x̂ y
Ay
Position vector A Ax
x1

xˆx1  yˆ y1  zˆz1 x

Page 109
 Cartesian Coordinates
z

Dot product:
  
A B  Ax Bx  Ay B y  Az Bz  Az A
B

Cross product: y
Ay
Ax

xˆ yˆ zˆ x
 
A B  Ax Ay Az
Bx By Bz

Back Page 108

 METRIC COEFFICIENTS
Unit is in “meters”
1. Rectangular Coordinates:

When you move a small amount in x-direction, the distance is dx

In a similar fashion, you generate dy and dz

 Cartesian Coordinates

Differential quantities:

Differential
 distance:
dl  xˆdx  yˆ dy  zˆdz
Differential surface:

ds x  xˆdydz

ds y  yˆ dxdz

ds z  zˆdxdy
Differential Volume:
dv dxdydz

Page 109
 Cylindrical Coordinates:

y Differential Distances:
Distance = r d
( dr, rd, dz )

d
r

x
 Cylindrical Coordinates:
Differential Distances: ( dρ, rd, dz )

dl d  aˆ    d  aˆ  dz  aˆz
Differential Surfaces:

ds  d  dz  aˆ 

ds d  dz  aˆ

ds z d  d  aˆ z

Differential Volume:
 Spherical Coordinates:

y Differential Distances:
Distance = r sin d
( dr, rd, r sind )
z
d
r sin  P
x
r

 y
x
 Spherical Coordinates
dl R dR
Differential quantities:
dl Rd
Length:
 dl R sin d
dl Rˆ dl R  
ˆ dl  

ˆ dl
Rˆ dR   ˆ Rd  
ˆ R sin d
Area:

dsR Rˆ dl dl Rˆ R 2 sin dd
 ˆ dl dl  ˆ R sin dRd
ds  R 
 ˆ dl R dl 
ˆ RdRd
ds 

Volume:

dv R 2 sin dRdd
Back Pages 113-115
VECTOR REPRESENTATION: UNIT VECTORS
Rectangular Coordinate System
z
â z Unit Vector
Representation
for Rectangular
Coordinate
System

â x â y

x
The Unit Vectors imply :

â x Points in the direction of increasing x

â y Points in the direction of increasing y

â z Points in the direction of increasing z

 VECTOR REPRESENTATION: UNIT VECTORS
Cylindrical Coordinate System
z
r â z
P
â
z

âr
x  y

The Unit Vectors imply :

âr Points in the direction of increasing r

â Points in the direction of increasing 

â z Points in the direction of increasing z

VECTOR REPRESENTATION: UNIT VECTORS
Spherical Coordinate System

z â
 P
âr
r

â
 y
x

The Unit Vectors imply :

âr Points in the direction of increasing r

â Points in the direction of increasing 

â Points in the direction of increasing 

VECTOR REPRESENTATION: UNIT VECTORS

Summary

RECTANGULAR CYLINDRICAL SPHERICAL

Coordinate Coordinate Coordinate
Systems Systems Systems

aˆ x aˆ y aˆ z  aˆ r aˆ  aˆ z  aˆ r aˆ aˆ 

NOTE THE ORDER!

r,, z r,,
 METRIC COEFFICIENTS

Representation of differential length dl in coordinate systems:


rectangular
dl dx  aˆx  dy  aˆy  dz  aˆz

cylindrical dl dr  aˆr  r  d  aˆ  dz  aˆz

spherical dl dr  aˆr  rd   aˆ  r sin d  aˆ
 AREA INTEGRALS

• integration over 2 “delta” distances dy

dx
Example:
y
7 6

6
AREA = dy  dx
3 2
= 16

2 Note that: z = constant

3 7 In this course, area & surface integrals will be

x
on similar types of surfaces e.g. r =constant
or  = constant or  = constant et c….
 SURFACE NORMAL

Representation of differential surface element:


Vector is NORMAL
to surface ds dx  dy  aˆ z
 DIFFERENTIALS FOR INTEGRALS

Example of Line differentials

  
dl dx  aˆ x or dl dr  aˆ r or dl rd   aˆ

Example of Surface differentials

 
ds dx  dy  aˆ z or ds rd   dz  aˆ r

Example of Volume differentials dv dx  dy  dz

Stoke’s theorem can be applied
to open surface bounded by
length L.
 You gain strength, courage
and confidence by every
experience in which you really
stop to look fear in the face.
You must do the thing you
think you cannot.

- Eleanor
Roosevelt