Electromagnetics

4. Spherical Coordinate Systems

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Spherical Coordinate System

0  R  

0    
0    2

 1

Spherical Coordinate System

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Spherical Coordinate System

Constant plane Differential areas and volume

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Spherical Coordinate System

A  A R aR  A  a   A  a  A  A R2  A 2  A 2

aR  aR  a   a   a   a   1

aR  a   a   a   a   aR  0

aR  aR  0

a   a   0
a  a  0
  

aR  a   a 

 a   a   aR

a   aR  a 
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Spherical Coordinate System

Scalar transformation
Rectangular to spherical
coordinate system

R  x 2  y 2  z 2


  x2  y2 

  tan  
1

 z 
 

  tan1  y 
 x
 
Spherical to rectangular r  x2  y2
coordinate system
 x  R sin  cos  Relationship between space variable

 y  R sin  sin  (x, y, z), (R, , ), and (r, , z)
z  R cos 

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Spherical Coordinate System

Vector transformation
Rectangular to spherical coordinate system
 A R  A  aR
 A  A x a x  A y a y  A z a z 
 A   A  a
 A  A R aR  A  a   A  a  A  A  a
  

A R =  A x a x  A y a y  A z a z   aR  a x  aR A x  a y  a R A y  a z  a R A z

A  =  A x ax  A y a y  A z az   a  a x  a A x  a y  a A y  a z  a A z

A  =  A x ax  A y a y  A z az   a  a x  a A x  a y  a A y  a z  a A z
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Spherical Coordinate System

 A R   aR  a x aR  a y aR  a z   A x 
    
 A     a  ax a  a y a  az   A y 
 A    a  a x a  a y a   a z   A z 
  

 A R   sin  cos  sin  sin  cos    A x 

     
 A    cos  cos  cos  sin   sin    A y 
 A    sin  cos  0   A z 
  

aR   sin  cos  sin  sin  cos   a x 

     
a    cos  cos  cos  sin   sin   a y 
a    sin  cos  0  a z 
  
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Spherical Coordinate System

Spherical to rectangular coordinate system

A x  A  a x
 A  A x a x  A y a y  A z a z 
 A y  A  a y
 A  A R aR  A  a   A  a  
A z  A  az

A x =  A R aR  A  a   A  a    a x  a R  a x A R  a   a x A   a   a x A 

A y =  A R aR  A  a   A  a    a y  a R  a y A R  a   a y A   a   a y A 

A z =  A R aR  A  a   A  a    a z  a R  a z A R  a   a z A   a   a z A 
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Spherical Coordinate System

 A x   a x  aR ax  a a x  a   AR 
    
 A y    a y  aR ay  a a y  a   A  
 A   a z  aR az  a a z  a    A  
 z 

 A x  sin  cos  cos  cos   sin   A R 

     
 A y    sin  sin  cos  sin  cos    A  
 A   cos   sin  0   A  
 z 

a x  sin  cos  cos  cos   sin  aR 

     
a y    sin  sin  cos  sin  cos   a  
a   cos   sin  0  a  
 z 
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Spherical Coordinate System

 A R   aR  a x aR  a y aR  a z   A x 
    
 A     a  ax a  a y a  az   A y 
 A    a  a x a  a y a   a z   A z 
  

 A x   a x  aR ax  a a x  a   AR 
    
 A y    a y  aR ay  a a y  a   A  
 A   a z  aR az  a a z  a    A  
 z 
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Spherical Coordinate System

aR  a x  sin  cos 


aR  a y  sin  sin 

aR  a z  cos 
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Spherical Coordinate System

z
aR

a
cos

ay
a   a x  cos  cos 
ax 
cos ar
x a   a y  cos  sin 

a   a z   sin 
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Spherical Coordinate System

aR
a

- ax y
a
ay
a   a x   sin 
ax ar 
x a   a y  cos 

a   a z  0
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Spherical Coordinate System

Example: Spherical strip shown in the figure is a section of a sphere of radius
3 cm. Find the area of the strip.
Solution: The prescribed surface is shown in the left-hand side figure.
Spherical surface area can be evaluated from the right-hand side figure.
60o 2
 3 1
S    R  sin dd  9   cos 30o 0  18 
60o 2
 
2
   20.7 cm2
 2 2
R 3
 30o 0
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Spherical Coordinate System

Example: A sphere of radius 2 cm contains a volume charge density rv given
by rv  4 cos   C / m  . Find the total charge Q contained in the sphere.
2 3

0.02  2

Solution: Q   rv dv      4 cos  R 

sin  dRdd
2 2

v R  0  0 0

 2 2102
R 3
 0 0  3   4cos   sin   dd
2

R 0

210 2  2
R  3
 4 
 3  R 0

 0
4 cos2  sin d  d
 0

 
8  10 6
8  10  cos  
6 3
 cos   u 
 8
3 
0
cos2  sin d  8
3

 3

0
 
  sin d  du 

8  106  2  128  10 6
 8     44.68  C 
3 3 9