ROTATION OF COORDINATE AXES

directed along the

Consider a Cartesian coordinate system S with unit vectors i, j, and k
~ in this system can be expressed as
three axes x, y, and z, respectively. Any vector A

~ = Axi + Ayj + Az k
A

(1)

where its Cartesian components are given by

~ i,
Ax = A

~ j,
Ay = A

~ k
Az = A

Suppose that we rotate this system about the z axis through an angle . The new set of
axes in the rotated frame S 0 are x0 , y 0 , and z 0 ; where the corresponding set of new unit
0.
vectors denoted by i0 , j0 , and k
n

0 and i, j, k
we refer to
To set up the relations between the primed unit vectors i0 , j0 , k
0 . Letting
~ therein successively by i0 , j0 , and k
eq.(1), where we replace the any vector A
~ stand for i0 , for instance, we write
A
i0 = (i0 i) i + (i0 j) j + (i0 k)
k

Similarly, we obtain
j0 = (j0 i) i + (j0 j) j + (j0 k)
k

and
0 = (k
0 i) i + (k
0 j) j + (k
0 k)
k

k
Noting that
i0 i = j0 j = cos ,

i0 j = cos(/2 ),

we write
i0 = cos i + sin j
j0 = sin i + cos j
0 = k

j0 i = cos(/2 + )

~ eq.(1), having components Ax , Ay , Az in the original system S should

Note that vector A,
look somewhat different with modified components A0x , A0y , and A0z as viewed in the new
rotated frame S 0 , i,e., one writes
0
~ 0 = A0 i0 + A0 j0 + A0 k
A
x
y
z
Actually, this vector does not change neither in magnitude nor in direction. Whether
viewed in S or S 0 , it remains the same. What makes up the difference is the orientation
~ 0 = A,
~ we write
of the coordinate axes. Thus, having A
0 = Axi + Ayj + Az k

A0xi0 + A0yj0 + A0z k

Forming a scalar product of each of the six terms in the above equation by i0 one obtains
A0x = Ax (i0 i) + Ay (i0 j)
= Ax cos + Ay sin
Similarly one gets
A0y = Ax (j0 i) + Ay (j0 j)
= Ax ( sin ) + Ay cos
and
A0z = Az

Using the above relations one can easily show that

A0x2 + Ay0 2 + A0z2 = A2x + A2y + A2z
~ remains invariant under a
Thus, the conclusion reached here is that the magnitude of A
rotation of coordinate axes. In a similar manner one should also expect the dot product
~ B
~ to remain the same if the coordinate axes are rotated; simply because the dot
A
product of any two vectors is a scalar.