Spherical Coordinates: Integrating a Hemisphere/Paraboloid

In summary, the given problem involves converting an integral in rectangular coordinates to spherical coordinates. The outermost integral has limits of -2 to 2 for x, the middle integral has limits of -sqrt(4-x^2) to sqrt(4-x^2) for y, and the innermost integral has limits of x+y^2 to 4 for z. The resulting shape is a hemisphere/paraboloid and the task is to find the relationship between p and phi for its curved and flat surfaces.
  • #1
Tater
10
0
Homework Statement
The outermost integral is:
-2 to 2, dx

The middle integral is:
-sqrt(4-x^2) to sqrt(4-x^2), dy

The inner most integral is:
x^+y^2 to 4, dz






The attempt at a solution

Drawing the dydx in a simple 2d (xy) plane, it is circular with a radius of 2. So this means that the period(theta) will go from 0 to 2pi. Drawing in 3d (xyz) yields a hemisphere/paraboloid. Now this is where I'm stuck. I don't know what to do after this or how to really tackle this problem. Do I want to attempt to draw a 'slice' of it in the spherical outline with the variables phi, rho, theta? Do I have to look at it a certain way (2d or 3d)? I just don't see what I can do!

Any help or guidance is greatly appreciated!
 
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  • #2
You haven't actually said what the question asks you to do..
 
  • #3
Whoops. Thought I stuck that in there. Anyways, all I have to do is convert it to spherical coordinates (from rectangular to spherical).
 
  • #4
Tater said:
Whoops. Thought I stuck that in there. Anyways, all I have to do is convert it to spherical coordinates (from rectangular to spherical).

I was afraid of that :wink:

It is indeed a paraboloid, so [itex]\rho[/itex] and [itex]\phi[/itex] will not be independent the way they would if it was a spherical section...

Try finding the relationship between [itex]\rho[/itex] and [itex]\phi[/itex] for the paraboloid's curved and flat surfaces
 
  • #5
From my weblog
http://buyanik.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/laplacian-in-spherical-coordinates/"
 
Last edited by a moderator:

1. What are spherical coordinates?

Spherical coordinates are a three-dimensional coordinate system used to locate points in space. They consist of a radial distance, an azimuth angle, and a polar angle.

2. How do spherical coordinates differ from Cartesian coordinates?

In Cartesian coordinates, a point is represented by three perpendicular axes (x, y, z) and their corresponding values. In spherical coordinates, a point is represented by a distance from the origin, an angle measured from the positive x-axis, and an angle measured from the positive z-axis.

3. What is the purpose of using spherical coordinates?

Spherical coordinates are particularly useful in describing physical systems with spherical symmetry, such as planets or particles moving around a central point. They also make it easier to perform calculations involving vectors in three dimensions.

4. How do you convert between spherical and Cartesian coordinates?

To convert from spherical coordinates (r, θ, φ) to Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z), use the following equations:
x = r*sin(θ)*cos(φ)
y = r*sin(θ)*sin(φ)
z = r*cos(θ)

5. What are some common applications of spherical coordinates?

Spherical coordinates are commonly used in physics, engineering, and astronomy to describe the position and motion of objects in three-dimensional space. They are also used in mapping and navigation, as well as in computer graphics and game development.

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