LECTURE 5: SPHERICAL COORDINATES

Today’s lecture is about spherical coordinates, which is the correct

generalization of polar coordinates to three dimensions.
1. Spherical Coordinates
Idea: Represent points as (ρ, θ, φ), where:

(1) ρ = distance from 0 to (x, y, z) (RHOdius)

(2) θ = angle between (x, y) and x-axis (THOrizontal)

(3) φ = angle between (x, y, z) and z−axis (PHErtical)

Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2020.

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Remarks:

(1) Think of θ as a longitude and φ as a latitude

(2) Constraints

ρ≥0
0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π
0≤φ≤π
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(3) Most important property: x2 + y 2 + z 2 = ρ2 (much easier!)

Example: Plot the following points:

(a) 1, π4 , π6

Think like the hands of a robot You move horizontally (= right)

by π4 , starting from the x−axis and move vertically (= down)
by π6 starting from the z−axis.
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(b) 2, 7π π


4 , 4

(c) 2, π3 , 2π


3
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Just like last time, this is useful because a lot of familiar objects
can be written really neatly in terms of spherical coordinates.

Example: Sketch the following surfaces

(a) ρ = 3

p
x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 3 ⇒ x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 9 Sphere
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Point: ρ = 3 is much easier than x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 9

π
(b) θ = 3

π
Half-plane through θ = 3 (just like last time)
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π
(c) φ = 6

Upper-cone!
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5π
Note: Lower cone is φ = 6

2. Derivation of Spherical Coordinates

Video: Derivation of Spherical Coordinates

Goal: Find equations for x, y, z in terms of ρ, θ, φ (similar to x =

r cos(θ) for polar coordinates)

Note: You have to know how to derive this for the exams!

(1) Picture: Here r is the distance between O and (x, y) (like for
cylindrical coordinates)

(2) Focus on the following triangle:

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By SOHCAHTOA, we have:

z
cos(φ) = ⇒ z = ρ cos(φ)
ρ

And also:

r
sin(φ) = ⇒ r = ρ sin(φ)
ρ

(3) The rest is just polar coordinates and the formula for r above:

x =r cos(θ) ⇒ x = ρ sin(φ) cos(θ)

y =r sin(θ) ⇒ y = ρ sin(φ) sin(θ)

Summary:
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x= ρ sin(φ) cos(θ)
y= ρ sin(φ) sin(θ)
z= ρ cos(φ)

Note: Do not memorize this. On the exam, I will give you the equa-
tions for spherical coordinates.

3. Integrals with Spherical Coordinates

Now let’s see why spherical coordinates are awesome! They allow us
to simplify complicated integrals like crazy (= Bazooka of math)

Note: Spherical coordinates are great for spheres and cones.

Example: Find the volume of a ball of radius R.

(1)
Z Z Z
V = 1 dxdydz
E

E = Ball of radius R

(2) Picture:
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(3) Inequalities: Basically no restrictions on θ and φ

0≤ρ≤R
0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π
0≤φ≤π

(4) Integrate

Z Z Z Z π Z 2π Z R
1 dxdydz = ρ2 sin(φ)dρdθdφ
E
0Z R0 0
 Z π  Z 2π 
= ρ2 dρ sin(φ)dφ 1dθ
0 0 0
3
R
= (2)(2π)
3
4
= πR3
3
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Note: Don’t memorize the ρ2 sin(φ) term, it will be given to you on

the exams

Note: Very roughly speaking, in polar coordinates we had rdrdθ, but

here we have:

ρ r drdθdφ = ρ(ρ sin(φ)) dρdθdφ = ρ2 sin(φ) dρdθdφ

If you want a more geometric explanation, please see the optional ap-
pendix below:

4. Optional Appendix: ρ2 sin(φ)

Question: Why do we get ρ2 sin(φ) ?

Recall: The length of an arc of radius L and angle α is Lα

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This follows from proportionality: An angle of 2π (a full circle) corre-

sponds to 2πL, hence an angle of α corresponds to αL.

Now fix a point (x, y, z) and move around that point a little bit by
changing ρ, θ, φ. If you do that, then in spherical coordinates you get
a little wedge, as in the following picture:

Picture:
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The volume of that wedge is approximately:

Volume ≈ Length × Width × Height

(1) Length = dρ (Small change in the radius)

(2) Width = rdθ = ρ sin(φ)dθ

(3) Height = ρdθ (because arclength of length ρ and angle dφ)

Therefore:

Volume ≈ (dρ)(ρ sin(φ)dθ)(ρdφ) = ρ2 sin(φ)dρdθdφ