MAS2104/MAS3104

Handout 5

Grad, Div and Curl in Cylindrical and Spherical Coordinates

In applications, we often use coordinates other than Cartesian coordinates. It is important to remember that expressions
for the differential operators of vector calculus are different in different coordinates. Here we give explicit formulae
for cylindrical and spherical coordinates.

Cylindrical Polar Coordinates (, , z)

x = cos ,
f = b
u =

y = sin ,

z=z,

r = (x, y, z) = (, 0, z) ,

f c 1 f
f
+
+ zb
,

1 (u ) 1 u uz
+
+
,


z












c
b
zb
1

u =
z
u u uz

uz
1 (u ) u
1 uz u
c u

+ zb

.
= b

z
z

NB! The cylindrical radius = x2 + y 2 is often denoted s or r; in the latter case, it can be confused with the length
of the position vector, r = |r| = x2 + y 2 + z 2 . Therefore, the notation r for the cylindrical radius, if used, is always
explained explicitly.
!

MAS2104/MAS3104

Handout 5

Spherical Polar Coordinates (r, , )

x = r sin cos ,
f = rb

y = r sin sin ,

z = r cos ,

r = (x, y, z) = (r, 0, 0) ,

f
1 f c 1 f
+ b
+
,
r
r
r sin

1 (u sin )
1 u
1 (r2 ur )
+
+
,
u = 2
r
r
r sin

r sin












c
rb rb
r sin
1

u = 2
r sin r

ur ru ru sin

u
1 1 ur

ur
c1
= rb
(u sin )
+ b
(ru ) +
(ru )
.
r sin

r sin
r
r r

"

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