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Section 9.7/12.8: Triple Integrals in Cylindrical and Spherical

Coordinates

Practice HW from Stewart Textbook (not to hand in)

Section 9.7: p. 689 # 3-23 odd
Section 12.8: p. 887 # 1-11 odd, 13a, 17-21 odd, 23a, 31, 33

Cylindrical Coordinates

Cylindrical coordinates extend polar coordinates to 3D space. In the cylindrical

coordinate system, a point P in 3D space is represented by the ordered triple (r , , z ) .
Here, r represents the distance from the origin to the projection of the point P onto the x-
y plane, is the angle in radians from the x axis to the projection of the point on the x-y
plane, and z is the distance from the x-y plane to the point P.
z

P (r , , z )

y
r

As a review, the next page gives a review of the sine, cosine, and tangent functions at
basic angle values and the sign of each in their respective quadrants.
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Sine and Cosine of Basic Angle Values

Degrees Radians cos sin sin

tan
cos
0 0 cos 0 1 sin 0 0 0
30 3 1 3
6 2 2 3
45 2 2 1
4 2 2
60 1 3 3
3 2 2
90 0 1 undefined
2
180 -1 0 0
270 3 0 -1 undefined
2
360 2 1 0 0

Signs of Basic Trig Functions in Respective Quadrants

Quadrant cos sin sin

tan
cos
I + + +
II - + -
III - - +
IV + - -

The following represent the conversion equations from cylindrical to rectangular

coordinates and vice versa.

Conversion Formulas

To convert from cylindrical coordinates ( r , , z ) to rectangular form (x, y, z) and vise

versa, we use the following conversion equations.

From polar to rectangular form: x r cos , y r sin , z = z.

y
From rectangular to polar form: r 2 x2 y2 , tan , and z = z
x
Example 1: Convert the points ( 2, 2 ,3) and ( 3, 3 , 1) from rectangular to
cylindrical coordinates.
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Solution:

Example 2: Convert the point (3, ,1) from cylindrical to rectangular coordinates.
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Solution:

Graphing in Cylindrical Coordinates

Cylindrical coordinates are good for graphing surfaces of revolution where the z axis is
the axis of symmetry. One method for graphing a cylindrical equation is to convert the
equation and graph the resulting 3D surface.
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Example 3: Identify and make a rough sketch of the equation z r 2 .

Solution:

Example 4: Identify and make a rough sketch of the equation .
4

Solution:

x
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Spherical Coordinates

Spherical coordinates represents points from a spherical global perspective. They are
good for graphing surfaces in space that have a point or center of symmetry.

Points in spherical coordinates are represented by the ordered triple

( , , )

where is the distance from the point to the origin O, , where is the angle in radians
from the x axis to the projection of the point on the x-y plane (same as cylindrical

coordinates), and is the angle between the positive z axis and the line segment OP
joining the origin and the point P ( , , ) . Note 0 .

P( , , )

x
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Conversion Formulas

To convert from cylindrical coordinates ( , , ) to rectangular form (x, y, z) and vise

versa, we use the following conversion equations.

From to rectangular form: x sin cos , y sin sin , z cos

y
From rectangular to polar form: 2 x2 y2 z2 , tan , and
x
z z
arccos( ) arccos( )
2
x y z 2 2

Example 5: Convert the points (1, 1, 1) and ( 3, 3 ,2 2) from rectangular to

spherical coordinates.

Solution:

Example 6: Convert the point (9, , ) from rectangular to spherical coordinates.
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Solution:

Example 7: Convert the equation 2 sec to rectangular coordinates.

Solution:

Example 8: Convert the equation to rectangular coordinates.
3
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z
Solution: For this problem, we use the equation arccos( ). If we take the
x y2 z2
2

cosine of both sides of the this equation, this is equivalent to the equation

z
cos
x y2 z2
2

Setting gives
3
z
cos .
3 x y2 z2
2

1
Since cos , this gives
3 2

1 z

2 x y2 z2
2

or

x 2 y 2 z 2 2z

Hence, x 2 y 2 z 2 2 z is the equation in rectangular coordinates. Doing some

algebra will help us see what type of graph this gives.

Squaring both sides gives

x 2 y 2 z 2 (2 z ) 2
x 2 y 2 z 2 4z 2
x 2 y 2 3z 2 0 The graph of x 2 y 2 3z 2 0 is a
cone shape half whose two parts
be found by graphing the two equations x y z 2 z . The graph of the top part,
2 2 2

x 2 y 2 z 2 2 z , is displayed as follows on the next page.

(continued on next page)

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Example 9: Convert the equation x2 y2 z to cylindrical coordinates and spherical

coordinates.

Solution: For cylindrical coordinates, we know that r 2 x2 y2 . Hence, we have r 2 z

or
r z

For spherical coordinates, we let x sin cos , y sin sin , and z cos
to obtain

( sin cos ) 2 ( sin sin ) 2 cos

We solve for using the following steps:

2 sin 2 cos 2 2 sin 2 sin 2 cos (Square terms)

2 2 2 2
sin (cos sin ) cos (Factor 2 sin 2 )
2 sin 2 (1) cos 0 (Use identity cos 2 sin 2 1)
( sin 2 cos ) 0 (Factor )
2
0, sin cos 0 (Set each factor equal to zero and solve)
cos
0,
sin 2

Triple Integrals in Cylindrical Coordinates

Suppose we are given a continuous function of three variables f ( r , , z ) expressed over

a solid region E in 3D where we use the cylindrical coordinate system.
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z h2 (r , )

E
y
r g 2 ( )
1 z h1 ( r , )
2

r g1 ( )

Then

2 r g 2 ( ) z h2 ( r , )

f (r , , z ) dV f (r , , z ) r dz dr d
E 1 r g1 ( ) z h1 ( r , )

2 r g 2 ( ) z h2 ( r , )
Volume of E dV r dz dr d
E 1 r g1 ( ) z h1 ( r , )
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( x
3
xy 2 ) dV
Example 10: Use cylindrical coordinates to evaluate , where E is the
E
solid in the first octant that lies beneath the paraboloid z 1 x2 y2 .

Solution:

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Example 11: Use cylindrical coordinates to find the volume of the solid that lies both
within the cylinder x 2 y 2 4 and the sphere x 2 y 2 z 2 9 .

Solution: Using Maple, we can produce the following graph that represents this solid:

In this graph, the shaft of the solid is represented by the cylinder equation x 2 y 2 4 . It is
capped on the top and bottom by the sphere x 2 y 2 z 2 9 . Solving for z, the upper and
bottom portions of the sphere can be represented by the equations z 9 x 2 y 2 .
Thus, z ranges from z 9 x 2 y 2 to z 9 x 2 y 2 . Since x 2 y 2 r 2 in cylindrical
coordinates, these limits become z 9 r 2 to z 9 r 2 .When this surface is projected
onto the x-y plane, it is represented by the circle x 2 y 2 4 . The graph is

(Continued on next page)

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This is a circle of radius 2. Thus, in cylindrical coordinates, this circle can be represented
from r = 0 to r = 2 and from 0 to 2 . Thus, the volume can be represented by the
following integral:
2 r g 2 ( ) z h2 ( r , ) 2 r 2 z 9 r 2
Volume dV r dz dr d r dz dr d
E 1 r g1 ( ) z h1 ( r , ) 0 r 0 z 9 r 2

We evaluate this integral as follows:

2 r 2 z 9 r 2 2 r2 z 9 r 2

r dz dr d rz dr d
0 r 0 z 9 r 2 0 r 0 z 9 r 2
2 r2
r ( 9 r 2 ) r ( 9 r 2 ) dr d
0 r 0
2 r2
2r 9 r 2 dr d
0 r 0
3 r2
2
2

2
(9 r 2 ) d (Use u - du sub let u 9 - r 2 )
0
3
r 0
3 3
2
2 2 2 2
[
3
(9 2 2 )
3
(9 0 2 ) ] d
0
3 3
2
2 2

2 2
[ (5) (9) ] d
0
3 3
3 3
2
10

2 2
[18 5 ] d (Note (9) 27 and (5) 5 5)
0
3
2
10
[18 5 ]
3 0
10
(18 5 ) 2 0
3
20
36 5
3

20
Thus, the volume is 36 5.
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Triple Integrals in Spherical Coordinates

Suppose we have a continuous function f ( , , ) defined on a bounded solid region E.

x P( , , ) y

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Then

2 2 h2 ( , )

f ( , , ) dV f ( , , ) 2 sin d d d
E 1 1 h1 ( , )

2 2 h2 ( , )
Volume of E dV 2 sin d d d
E 1 1 h1 ( , )
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x2 y 2 z 2
Example 12: Use spherical coordinates to evaluate e dV , where E is
E

enclosed by the sphere x2 y2 z2 9 in the first octant.

Solution:

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2 4 x 2 16 x 2 y 2
Example 13: Convert x 2 y 2 dz dy d from rectangular to
2 0 0
spherical coordinates and evaluate.

Solution: Using the identities x sin cos and y sin sin , the integrand becomes

x2 y2 2 sin 2 cos 2 2 sin 2 sin 2

2 sin 2 (cos 2 sin 2 )
2 sin 2 (1) sin

The limits with respect to z range from z = 0 to z 16 x 2 y 2 . Note that

z 16 x 2 y 2 is a hemisphere and is the upper half of the sphere x 2 y 2 z 2 16 .
The limits with respect to y range from y = 0 to y 4 x 2 , which is the semicircle
located on the positive part of the y axis on the x-y plane of the circle x 2 y 2 4 as x
ranges from x 2 to x 2 . Hence, the region described by these limits is given by
the following graph

Thus, we can see that ranges from 0 to 4 , ranges from 0 to
2
and ranges from 0 to . Using these results, the integral can be evaluated in
polar coordinates as follows:

(continued on next page)

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2 4 x 2 16 x 2 y 2

x 2 y 2 dz dy d
2 0 0


2 4
sin ( 2 sin ) d d d
0 0 0


2 4
3 sin 2 d d d
0 0 0

4
2
4
4
sin 2 d d (Integrate with respect to )
0 0 0



2
44 2
[
4
sin 2 0]d d 64 sin 2 d d (Sub in limits and simplify)
0 0 0 0


2
1 cos 2 1 cos 2u
64
2 d d (Use trig identity sin 2 u
2
)
0 0


2 2
32(1 cos 2 ) d d ( 32 32 cos 2 ) d d (Simplify and dist 32)
0 0 0 0


1 2
( 32 32( ) sin 2 )
2
(Integrate with respect to , use u - du sub for cos2 )
0 0


2
( 32 16 sin 2 ) d [32
2
16 sin 2( ) ] (32(0) 16 sin 0) d
2
0 0 0

(16 16 sin 0)d (16 16(0) ) d
0 0


16 d 16 0
(Integrate with respect to )
0
16 ( ) 0 16 2