It is actually most common t represent vectors, even in polar coordinates, with x and y components, but yes, you can have "radial" and "angular" components. Writing vectors as [itex]\left< r, \theta\right>[/itex], a vector with 0 radial component would represent a "rotation". Of course, vectors don't necessarily represent forces.schlynn said:This is more of a general question, really no math involved. Since polar coordinates are, (theta, r), the direction of the vector is theta, and the magnitude is r, in polar coordinates, does a vector represent rotational force?
Polar coordinates are a system of representing points in a plane using a distance from the origin (called the radius) and an angle from a fixed reference line (called the polar axis).
To convert a vector from Cartesian coordinates (x,y) to polar coordinates (r,θ), you can use the formulas r = √(x²+y²) and θ = tan⁻¹(y/x).
A polar vector has a magnitude and direction described by its radius and angle, while a Cartesian vector has a magnitude and direction described by its x and y components.
Yes, polar coordinates can be extended to three-dimensional space by adding a third coordinate (called the height or altitude) and using a third angle (called the azimuth angle) to represent the direction.
In polar coordinates, vector operations can be performed by converting the vectors to Cartesian coordinates, performing the operation, and then converting the result back to polar coordinates. Alternatively, vector operations can be performed directly using the polar coordinates and trigonometric functions.