1

Some Important ECE 380 Information

Cartesian
Coordinates
Cylindrical
Coordinates
Spherical
Coordinates
Variables x, y, z ,| ,z r ,u , |
Vector
Representation,
= A
z A y A x A
z y x
+ +
z A A A
z

+ + |
|
| u
| u

A A r A
r
+ +
Magnitude of
A,
= = A A A
2 2 2
z y x
A A A + +
2 2 2
z
A A A + +
|
2 2 2
| u
A A A
r
+ +
Position
Vectors, = r
xx yy zz + +
for P( , , x y z )
zz +
for P( , , z | )
rr
for P( , , r u | )
Position
Vectors, ' = r
x x y y z z ' ' ' + +
for P( , , x y z ' ' ' )
z z ' ' ' +
for P( , , z | ' ' ' )
r r ' '
for P( , , r u | ' ' ' )
Base Vector
Properties
1 x x y y z z = = =
0 x y y z z x = = =
y x z
x z y
z y x



=
=
=

1 z z | | = = =

0 z z | | = = =

z
z
z
|
|
|
=
=
=

1 r r u u | | = = =

0 r r u u | | = = =

r
r
r
u |
u |
| u
=
=
=
Dot product,
= A B
z z y y x x
B A B A B A + +
z z
B A B A B A + +
| | | | u u
B A B A B A
r r
+ +
Cross product,
= A B
(
(
(

z y x
z y x
B B B
A A A
z y x


z
z
z
A A A
B B B
|
|
|
(
(
(
(

r
r
r
A A A
B B B
u |
u |
u |
(
(
(
(

Differential
Length, d = dxx dyy dzz + +
d d dzz || + +

sin drr rd r d uu u || + +
2
Differential
surface element
vectors
d nds = s

x
d xdydz = s

y
d ydxdz = s

z
d zdxdy = s
d d dz

| = s

d d dz
|
| = s
( )
z
d zd d | = s
2
sin
r
d rr d d u u | = s
( )

sin d dr r d
u
u u | = s
( )

d dr rd
|
| u = s
Differential
Volume, dv = dx dy dz
d d| dz ( ) ( ) sin dr rd r d u u |
Non-constant
unit vectors
(UVs) in terms
of constant
UVs
cos sin x y

sin cos x y
sin cos sin sin cos r x y z

cos cos cos sin sin x y z

sin cos x y
sin cos r z

cos sin z
The Gradient
The Divergence
1 1 1

Cartesian: Cylindrical: Spherical:
sin
V V V V V V V V V
V x y z V z V r
x y z z r r r
| u |
| u u |
c c c c c c c c c
V = + + V = + + V = + +
c c c c c c c c c
Cartesian:
y
x z
A
A A
x y z
c
c c
V = + +
c c c
A
( )
1 1
Cylindrical:
z
A
A
A
z
|

|
c
c c
V = + +
c c c
A
( ) ( )
2
2
1 1 1
Spherical: sin
sin sin
r
A
r A A
r r r r
|
u
u
u u u |
c
c c
V = + +
c c c
A
3
The Curl

Cartesian:
y y
x x z z
x y z
x y z
A A
A A A A
x y z
x y z y z z x x y
A A A
c c | | | | c c c c c c c | |
V = = + +
| | |
c c c c c c c c c
\ .
\ . \ .
A
( )

1 1 1

Cylinrical:
z z
z
z
A A A A
A A
z
z z z
A A A
| |
|
|

|
| | |

(
c c c c ( ( c c c c c
V = = + + (
( (
c c c c c c c c c
(

A
( ) ( ) ( )
2

sin
sin
1 1 1 1 1

Spherical:
sin sin sin
sin
r r
r
r r r
A rA
rA A A A
r
r r r r r r r
A rA r A
| |
u u
u |
u u|
u
u |
u u | u u | u | u
u
( (
c c
c ( c c c c c c
V = = + + ( (
(
c c c c c c c c c
( (

A