- #1
linda300
- 61
- 3
Hi guys,
This isn't really a homework problem but I just need a bit of help grasping rotations in spherical coordinates.
My main question is,
Is it possible to rotate a vector r about the y-axis by an angle β if r is expressed in spherical coordinates and you don't want to convert r cartesian coordinates to do the rotation (just using 1 rotation matrix?
I've been searching the web for a while in hope for a simple explanation and a straight forward rotation matrix so I can play with it / test it and the only things I have found are based in cartesian coordinates.
Of course the y-axis rotation is just an example for me to learn from but in this case.
I know that in cartesian coordinates the rotation matrix will be:
cos β...0...-sin β
0...1...0
sin β...0...cos β
But you can only apply this to vectors which are represented in cartesian coordinates right? How can I write this rotation matrix in spherical coordinates so I can applying to a vector writing in sphereical coordinates?
Would anyone be able to give me a hand?
Edit:
The correct thing to do would be this right?
What I'm trying to ask is if there is an easier way?
This isn't really a homework problem but I just need a bit of help grasping rotations in spherical coordinates.
My main question is,
Is it possible to rotate a vector r about the y-axis by an angle β if r is expressed in spherical coordinates and you don't want to convert r cartesian coordinates to do the rotation (just using 1 rotation matrix?
I've been searching the web for a while in hope for a simple explanation and a straight forward rotation matrix so I can play with it / test it and the only things I have found are based in cartesian coordinates.
Of course the y-axis rotation is just an example for me to learn from but in this case.
I know that in cartesian coordinates the rotation matrix will be:
cos β...0...-sin β
0...1...0
sin β...0...cos β
But you can only apply this to vectors which are represented in cartesian coordinates right? How can I write this rotation matrix in spherical coordinates so I can applying to a vector writing in sphereical coordinates?
Would anyone be able to give me a hand?
Edit:
The correct thing to do would be this right?
What I'm trying to ask is if there is an easier way?
Last edited by a moderator: