Spherical coordinates and partial derivatives

In summary, the conversation discusses finding partial derivatives in spherical coordinates using an arbitrary function \psi. The formula for \frac{\partial}{{\partial}x} is given and the question arises about the validity of \frac{{\partial}r}{{\partial}x}=\frac{1}{\frac{{\partial}x}{{\partial}r}}. The concept of using u1=r, u2=θ, u3=φ to simplify the formula is also introduced.
  • #1
batboio
19
0
Hello! My problem is that I want to find [tex](\frac{\partial}{{\partial}x}, \frac{\partial}{{\partial}y}, \frac{\partial}{{\partial}z})[/tex] in spherical coordinates. The way I am thinking to do this is:

[tex]\frac{\partial}{{\partial}x}{\psi}(r(x,y,z),{\theta}(x,y,z),{\phi}(x,y,z))=\frac{{\partial}{\psi}}{{\partial}r}\frac{{\partial}r}{{\partial}x}+\frac{{\partial}{\psi}}{{\partial}{\theta}}\frac{{\partial}{\theta}}{{\partial}x}+\frac{{\partial}{\psi}}{{\partial}{\phi}}\frac{{\partial}{\phi}}{{\partial}x}=\frac{1}{\frac{{\partial}x}{{\partial}r}}\frac{{\partial}{\psi}}{{\partial}r}+\frac{1}{\frac{{\partial}x}{{\partial}{\theta}}}\frac{{\partial}{\psi}}{{\partial}{\theta}}+\frac{1}{\frac{{\partial}x}{{\partial}{\phi}}}\frac{{\partial}{\psi}}{{\partial}{\phi}}[/tex],

where [tex]\psi[/tex] is an arbitrary function. And so:

[tex]\frac{\partial}{{\partial}x}=\frac{1}{\frac{{\partial}x}{{\partial}r}}\frac{{\partial}}{{\partial}r}+\frac{1}{\frac{{\partial}x}{{\partial}{\theta}}}\frac{{\partial}}{{\partial}{\theta}}+\frac{1}{\frac{{\partial}x}{{\partial}{\phi}}}\frac{{\partial}}{{\partial}{\phi}}[/tex]

The problem is that I think I've seen somewhere that [tex]\frac{{\partial}r}{{\partial}x}=\frac{1}{\frac{{\partial}x}{{\partial}r}}[/tex] BUT I am really far from being sure that this is true.

And if this is true so far then what happens with [tex]\frac{{\partial}{\phi}}{{\partial}z}[/tex] when [tex]\frac{{\partial}z}{{\partial}{\phi}}=0[/tex]
 
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  • #2
In general, let u1=r, u2=θ, u3=φ, then
[tex]\frac{\partial \bold{r}}{\partial u_p}\cdot\triangledown u_q=\delta_{pq}[/tex]
 

What are spherical coordinates?

Spherical coordinates are a system for locating points in three-dimensional space using three coordinates: radius (r), inclination (θ), and azimuth (φ). These coordinates are measured from a fixed point at the center of a sphere, with the radius representing the distance from the center, inclination representing the angle from the positive z-axis, and azimuth representing the angle from the positive x-axis.

How are spherical coordinates converted to Cartesian coordinates?

Spherical coordinates can be converted to Cartesian coordinates using the following equations:
x = r * sin(θ) * cos(φ)
y = r * sin(θ) * sin(φ)
z = r * cos(θ)
where r is the radius, θ is the inclination, and φ is the azimuth.

What is the relationship between spherical coordinates and partial derivatives?

Partial derivatives are used to calculate the rate of change of a function with respect to one of its variables. In spherical coordinates, the partial derivatives are calculated with respect to the radius (r), inclination (θ), and azimuth (φ). These derivatives are used to determine how a function changes in different directions on a sphere.

What is the gradient in spherical coordinates?

The gradient in spherical coordinates is a vector that represents the direction and magnitude of the steepest increase in a function at a given point. It is calculated using the partial derivatives of the function with respect to each of the three spherical coordinates:
∇f = (∂f/∂r)er + (1/r)(∂f/∂θ)eθ + (1/rsinθ)(∂f/∂φ)eφ
where er, eθ, and eφ are unit vectors in the r, θ, and φ directions respectively.

How are partial derivatives used in physics and engineering?

Partial derivatives are used in physics and engineering to understand the rate of change of a physical quantity with respect to one of its variables. They are used to calculate important quantities such as velocity, acceleration, and electric and magnetic fields. In spherical coordinates, partial derivatives are used to determine the direction and magnitude of these quantities at a given point on a sphere.

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