Cartesian, Cylindrical Polar, and Spherical Polar Coordinates

r
z r z θ
r y

x
φ ρ φ

Cartesian Cylindrical Polar Spherical Polar

x= x ρ cos φ r sin θ cos φ

y= y ρ sin φ r sin θ sin φ
z= z z r cos θ
eˆ x = iˆ eˆρ = cos φiˆ + sin φ jˆ eˆr = sin θ cos φ iˆ + sin θ sin φ jˆ + cos θ kˆ
Unit Vectors
(orthonormal) eˆ = jˆ
y eˆφ = − sin φ iˆ + cos φ jˆ eˆθ = cos θ cos φ iˆ + cos θ sin φ jˆ − sin θ kˆ
eˆz = kˆ eˆz = kˆ eˆφ = − sin φ iˆ + cos φ ˆj
Infinitesimal r r
r
Displacement dr = dx iˆ + dy ˆj + dz kˆ dr = dρ eˆρ + ρ dφ eˆφ + dz eˆz dr = dr eˆr + r dθ eˆθ + r sin θ dφ eˆφ

r2
dr ≡ (ds )
2
(ds )2 = (dx )2 + (dy )2 + (dz )2 (ds )2 = (dρ)2 + ρ2 (dφ)2 + (dz )2 (ds )2 = (dr )2 + r 2 (dθ)2 + r 2 sin2 θ (dφ)2

Volume Element dV = dx dy dz dV = ρ dρ dφ dz dV = r 2 sin θ dr dθ dφ

PH461/PH561, Fall 2008 page 1 of 2 ©2008 William W. Warren, Jr.

 Vector Operators in Cartesian, Cylindrical Polar, and Spherical Polar Coordinates

r
In the table below, Φ is a scalar function of the spatial coordinates (not to be confused with the azimuthal angle φ) and a
is a vector field, i.e. a vector whose components depend on the spatial coordinates. The vectors iˆ, jˆ, eˆρ, eˆθ etc. are unit
vectors pointing in the direction of increasing values of the respective coordinates.

Operator Cartesian Cylindrical Polar Spherical Polar

r
∇Φ ∂Φ ˆ ∂Φ ˆ ∂Φ ˆ ∂Φ 1 ∂Φ ∂Φ ∂Φ 1 ∂Φ 1 ∂Φ
i + j+ k eˆρ + eˆφ + eˆz eˆr + eˆθ + eˆφ
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂ρ ρ ∂φ ∂z ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ

r r
∇⋅a ∂a x ∂a y ∂a z
∂x
+
∂y
+
∂z
1 ∂
ρ ∂ρ
(
ρa ρ +)1 ∂a φ ∂a z
ρ ∂φ
+
∂z
1 ∂ 2
r ∂r
2
( )
r ar +
1 ∂
r sin θ ∂θ
(sin θaθ ) + 1
∂aφ
r sin θ ∂φ

iˆ ˆj kˆ eˆρ ρeˆφ eˆz eˆr reˆθ r sin θeˆφ

r r ∂ ∂ ∂ 1 ∂ ∂ ∂ 1 ∂ ∂ ∂
∇×a ∂x ∂y ∂z ρ ∂ρ ∂φ ∂z r sin θ ∂r
2
∂θ ∂φ
ax ay az aρ ρaφ az ar raθ r sin θaφ

∇ 2Φ ∂ 2Φ ∂ 2Φ ∂ 2Φ 1 ∂ ⎛ ∂Φ ⎞ 1 ∂ 2 Φ ∂ 2 Φ 1 ∂ ⎛ 2 ∂Φ ⎞ 1 ∂ ⎛ ∂Φ ⎞ 1 ∂ 2Φ
+ + ⎜ρ ⎟+ + ⎜ r ⎟ + ⎜ sin θ ⎟ +
∂x 2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2 ρ ∂ρ ⎜⎝ ∂ρ ⎟⎠ ρ2 ∂φ2 ∂z 2 r 2 ∂r ⎝ ∂r ⎠ r 2 sin θ ∂θ ⎝ ∂θ ⎠ r 2 sin2 θ ∂φ2

PH461/PH561, Fall 2008 page 2 of 2 ©2008 William W. Warren, Jr.