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Spherical coordinates (view source)
Revision as of 22:24, November 29, 2009
, 22:24, November 29, 2009a start
'''Spherical coordinates''' are a way to describe the location of a point in three-dimensional space based on "r", the distance from the origin (where x=y=z=0); "θ", the angle between the point and the x-z plane (in the positive x direction); and Ψ, the angle between the point and the z axis (in the positive z direction). Thus, each point is described by: (r,θ,Ψ).
In a sense, cylindrical coordinates are coordinates on a sphere just like [[polar coordinates]] are coordinates on a circle.
The equations converting the parameters are as follows:
:<math>r^2 = x^2 + y^2 + z^2</math>
:x=r*sin(θ)*cos(Ψ)
:y=r*cos(θ)*sin(Ψ)
:z=r*cos(Ψ)
[[Category: Mathematics]]
[[Category: Geometry]]
In a sense, cylindrical coordinates are coordinates on a sphere just like [[polar coordinates]] are coordinates on a circle.
The equations converting the parameters are as follows:
:<math>r^2 = x^2 + y^2 + z^2</math>
:x=r*sin(θ)*cos(Ψ)
:y=r*cos(θ)*sin(Ψ)
:z=r*cos(Ψ)
[[Category: Mathematics]]
[[Category: Geometry]]