Engineering Sciences 23

Curvilinear Coordinates Staff

Values of the Dot Product Between Fundamental Unit Vectors in Cartesian,
Cylindrical, and Spherical Coordinate Systems.

x̂ ŷ ẑ r̂ θ̂ φ̂ R̂ φ̂ ẑ

x̂ 1 0 0 sin θ cos φ cos θ cos φ − sin φ cos φ − sin φ 0

ŷ 0 1 0 sin θ sin φ cos θ sin φ cos φ sin φ cos φ 0
ẑ 0 0 1 cos θ − sin θ 0 0 0 1
r̂ sin θ cos φ sin θ sin φ cos θ 1 0 0 sin θ 0 cos θ
θ̂ cos θ cos φ cos θ sin φ − sin θ 0 1 0 cos θ 0 − sin θ
φ̂ − sin φ cos φ 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
R̂ cos φ sin φ 0 sin θ cos θ 0 1 0 0
φ̂ − sin φ cos φ 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
ẑ 0 0 1 cos θ − sin θ 0 0 0 1

ELEMENTARY SOURCES AND FIELDS

Source Type Vector Field Ṽ Potential Functions Φ̃ Streamfunction Ψ̃

Uniform Plane Field V0 x̂ −V0 x V0 y
Uniform Axisymmetric Field V0 ẑ −V0 z ψp = 21 V0 r2
F̃ 0 F̃ 0
F̃ 0
Line Flux Source 2πR R̂ − 2π `nR 2π ϕ
F̃ F̂ F
Point Flux Source 4πr 2 r̂ 4πr ψp = − 4π cos θ
Γ̃ Γ̃ Γ̃
Line Circulation Source 2πR ϕ̂ − 2π ϕ − 2π `nR
³ ´
d d cos ϕ d sin ϕ
Plane (2D) Dipole 2πR2 cos ϕR̂ + sin ϕϕ̂ 2π R 2π R
³ ´
p p cos θ p sin2 θ
Point (3D) Dipole 4πr 3 2 cos θr̂ + sin θθ̂ 4π r 2 ψp = 4π r

Thayer School of Engineering 1

 Engineering Sciences 23
Curvilinear Coordinates Staff

∇-operations in Different Coordinate Systems

Cartesian Coordinates

Gradient : ∇Φ̃ = x̂ ∂∂x

Φ̃
+ ŷ ∂∂yΦ̃ + ẑ ∂∂zΦ̃ .

∂ Ṽx ∂ Ṽy ∂ Ṽz

Divergence : ∇ · Ṽ = ∂x + ∂y + ∂z .

µ ¶ µ ¶ µ ¶
∂ Ṽz ∂ Ṽy ∂ Ṽx ∂ Ṽz ∂ Ṽy ∂ Ṽx
Curl : ∇ × Ṽ = x̂ ∂y − ∂z + ŷ ∂z − ∂x + ẑ ∂x − ∂y

∂ 2 Φ̃ ∂ 2 Φ̃ ∂ 2 Φ̃
Laplacian : ∇2 Φ̃ = ∂2x + ∂2y + ∂2z .

Cylindrical Coordinates

∂ Φ̃
Gradient : ∇Φ̃ = R̂ ∂R + ϕ̂ R1 ∂∂ϕ
Φ̃
+ ẑ ∂∂zΦ̃ .

1 ∂ 1 ∂ ∂
Divergence : ∇ · Ṽ = R ∂R (RṼR ) + R ∂ϕ Ṽϕ + ∂z Ṽz .

∂ Ṽϕ ¤
= R̂ R1 ∂∂ϕ
£ Ṽ £ ∂ ṼR ∂ Ṽz
¤ £1 ∂ 1 ∂ ṼR
¤
Curl : ∇ × Ṽ z
− ∂z + ϕ̂ ∂z − ∂R + ẑ R ∂R (RṼϕ ) − R ∂ϕ

1 ∂ ∂ Φ̃ 1 ∂ 2 Φ̃ ∂ 2 Φ̃
Laplacian : ∇2 Φ̃ = R ∂R (R ∂R ) + R2 ∂ϕ2 + ∂z 2 .

Spherical Coordinates

Gradient : ∇Φ̃ = r̂ ∂∂rΦ̃ + θ̂ 1r ∂∂θΦ̃ + ϕ̂ r sin

1 ∂ Φ̃
θ ∂ϕ .

1 ∂ 2 1 ∂ 1 ∂
Divergence : ∇ · Ṽ = r 2 ∂r (r Ṽr ) + r sin θ ∂θ (sin θ Ṽθ ) + r sin θ ∂ϕ Ṽϕ .

1 ∂ ∂ Ṽθ 1 ∂ Ṽr ∂ ∂ ∂ Ṽr

+ θ̂ 1r + ϕ̂ 1r
£ ¤ £ ¤ £ ¤
Curl : ∇ × Ṽ = r̂ r sin θ ∂θ (sin θ Ṽϕ ) − ∂ϕ sin θ ∂ϕ − ∂r (r Ṽϕ ) ∂r (r Ṽθ ) − ∂θ

1 ∂ 2 ∂ Φ̃ 1 ∂ ∂ Φ̃ 1 ∂ 2 Φ̃
Laplacian : ∇2 Φ̃ = r 2 ∂r (r ∂r ) + r 2 sin θ ∂θ (sin θ ∂θ ) + r 2 sin2 θ ∂ϕ2
.
 Engineering Sciences 23
Curvilinear Coordinates Staff

Line, Surface and Volume Elements in Different

Coordinate Systems

Cartesian Coordinates

d` = x̂dx + ŷdy + ẑdz


x̂ dydz, yz-plane






dS = ŷ dxdz, xz-plane




ẑ dxdy, xy-plane


dV = dxdydz

Cylindrical Coordinates

d` = R̂dR + ϕ̂ R dϕ + ẑdz

R̂ R dϕdz, curved-surface






dS = ϕ̂ dRdz, meridional-plane




ẑ R dRdϕ, top/bottom-plane


dV = R dRdϕdz

Spherical Coordinates

d` = r̂dr + θ̂ r sin θdθ + ϕ̂ rdϕ


r̂ r2 sin θdθdϕ, curved-surface





dS = θ̂ r sin θdrdϕ, meridional-plane




xy-plane
ϕ̂ rdrdθ,


dV = r2 sin θ drdθdϕ