Chapter 1

Vector Analysis

PowerPoint® Lectures for

Department of Physics, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir,
Muzaffarabad.
Recommended Book: Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences.
Lectures by Dr. Nasar Ahmed
Mary L. Boas Third Edition
 Operator in Cartesian Coordinate System

T ˆ T ˆ T ˆ
Gradient: T  as i j k
x y z
GradT: points the direction of maximum increase of the
function T.
Vx V y Vz
Divergence:  V    where V  Vx iˆ  V y ˆj  Vz kˆ
x y z
  Vz Vy   Vx Vz   Vy Vx 
Curl:   V    iˆ     ˆj    kˆ
 y z   z x   x y 
PowerPoint® Lectures for
Department of Physics, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir,
Muzaffarabad.
Recommended Book: Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences.
Lectures by Dr. Nasar Ahmed
Mary L. Boas Third Edition
 Spherically Symmetric problem (r,θ,φ)

Spherical Coordinates
X=r sin θ cos Φ,
Y=r sin θ sin Φ, Z
Z=z cos θ

P (r, θ, Φ)
θ
r
Y
φ

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD

 Transform Curvilinear Coordinates into Spherical Polar
Coordinates:

x = r sin θ cos Φ, dx = sin θ cos Φ dr+ r cos θ cos Φ d θ - r sin θ sin Φ d Φ

y = sin θ sin Φ dr + r cos θ sin Φ d θ + r sin θ cos Φ d Φ
y = r sin θ sin Φ,
z = cos θ dr + r sin θ d θ
z = r cos θ

Arc length in Cartesian coordinates

(dr)2 = (dx )2 + (dy)2+ (dz)2
Arc length in Curvilinear coordinates
(dr)2 = (h1du1 )2 + (h2du2)2+ (h3du3)2
Arc length in spherical polar coordinates

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD

 Transform Curvilinear Coordinates into Spherical Polar
Coordinates:
dx = sin θ cos Φ dr+ r cos θ cos Φ d θ - r sin θ sin Φ d Φ
y = sin θ sin Φ dr + r cos θ sin Φ d θ + r sin θ cos Φ d Φ
z = cos θ dr + r sin θ d θ

(dr)2 = (dx )2 + (dy)2+ (dz)2

Comparing with Arc length in spherical coordinates

Using these values we

can find Gradient,
Divergence, Curl and
Laplacian in Spherical
Polar Coordinates

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD

 Operator In Spherical Coordinate System

V  Vr rˆ V ˆ  Vˆ
T 1 T ˆ 1 T ˆ
T  r̂   
Gradient : r r  r sin 

1  Vr 
 1   sin V  1 V
2
Divergence: r
 V  2  
r r r sin   r sin  

   V  1  1 Vr  
Curl:  V  
1
r sin
sinV   r̂    rV ˆ
    r  sin  r 
1 Vr  ˆ
  rV  
 
r  r  
Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD
 Converting Between Rectangular and
Spherical Coordinates

(x,y,z) r Spherical to rectangular

 z
 x  r cos( )   sin( ) cos( )
y  r sin( )   sin( ) sin( )
z   cos( )

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD

 Converting from Spherical to Rectangular
Coordinates

Rectangular to Spherical
(x,y,z) r
  x2  y 2  z 2
 z
 tan( ) 
y
x
r x2  y 2
tan( )  
z z
z z
cos( )  
 x2  y 2  z 2

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD

 Spherical polar coordinate system (r,θ,φ)

dr is infinitesimal displacement
along r, r dθ is along θ and
r sinθ dφ is along φ direction.
Z P(r, θ, φ)
Volume element is given by
dr
r cos θ P dv = dr r dθ r sinθ dφ
θ r r dθ
Y Limits of integration of r, θ, φ are
0<r<∞ , 0<θ <π , o<φ <2π
φ r sinθ r sinθ dφ
Ex: Show that Volume of a
X sphere of radius R is 4/3 π R3 .
θ is zenith angle( starts from +Z reaches up to –Z) , φ is azimuth angle (starts from
+X direction and lies in x-y plane only)
Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD
 Volume of a sphere of radius ‘R’

V   dv   r dr sin  d d
2

v
R  2
  r dr  sin  d  d
2

0 0 0
3
R 4
 . 2 . 2   R 3
3 3
Try Yourself:
1)Surface area of the sphere= 4πR2 .

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD

 Spherical Coordinates: Volume element in space

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD

 Points to remember

System Coordinates dl1 dl2 dl3

Cartesian x,y,z dx dy dz
Cylindrical r, φ,z dr rdφ dz
Spherical r,θ, φ dr rdθ r sinθdφ

Volume element : dv = dl1 dl2 dl3

Q   dv    4r 2 dr
v l
If Volume charge density ‘ρ’ depends only on ‘r’:

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD

 CHAPTER 6 Vector Analysis
Gradient cylindrical and polar, coordinates
The element of arc length ds in the r direction is dr so the directional
derivative in the r direction is df /dr (θ and z constant) which we write as
∂f/∂r.
In the θ direction, the element of arc length is r dθ so the directional
derivative in the θ direction is df /(r dθ) (with r and z constant) which we
write as (1/r)∂f/∂θ.
Thus we have in cylindrical coordinates (or polar without the z term)

How to calculate??
Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD
 Quiz: Determine
a) Areas S1, S2 and S3.
b) Volume covered by these surfaces.
S3

Solution: Z
2 h
Radius is r,
a ) i ) S1   rd  dz  rh(2  1 ) r
1 0
Height is h,
r h 1    2
ii) S 2   dr  dz  rh S2
0 0 S1
2 r
r2
iii) S 3    dr.rd  (2  1 )
1 0 2 Y
h 2 r
r2 dφ
b) V     dr.rd .dz  (2  1 )h
0 1 0
2
Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD
X
 CHAPTER 6 Vector Analysis
Cylindrical coordinates to Cartesian Coordinates
The position of a point in space P having Cartesian coordinates x, y, z may be
expressed in terms of cylindrical polar coordinates

corresponding unit vectors

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD

 Cartesian Coordinates to Cylindrical coordinates

Multiplying 1 by cosϕ and 2 by sin ϕ, then subtracting

Multiplying 1 by sin ϕ and 2 by cos ϕ, then Adding

Dr. Nasar Ahmed, UAJK, MZD