Help understanding x,y,z equations

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on understanding the spherical coordinate equations for an object moving around the origin (0,0,0) with given parameters: radius (r = 5), polar angle (theta = 4), and azimuthal angle (phi = 6). The equations provided are y = r * cos(phi), x = r * sin(phi) * sin(theta), and z = -r * sin(phi) * cos(theta). The key takeaway is that the x-coordinate incorporates both sine functions due to its dependence on the angles phi and theta, while the z-coordinate uses sine and cosine to account for the orientation relative to the -z-axis.

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  • Spherical coordinates and their applications
  • Trigonometric functions: sine and cosine
  • Understanding of right triangles in 3D space
  • Basic vector decomposition techniques
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This discussion is beneficial for students and enthusiasts in mathematics, physics, and engineering who are learning about spherical coordinates and their practical applications in 3D modeling and simulations.

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I have a point at 0,0,0(the origin).

And I have an object that will move around that point.
The following data is given for that object:
r = 5
theta=4
phi=6

phi is the angle that is between y and z.
theta is(probably) between y and z.

To find the object coordinates(x,y,z),the following equations are given:

y = r * cos(phi)
x = r * sin(phi) * sin(theta)
z = -r * sin(phi) * cos (theta)

we use -r on z because theta is measured counterclockwise from -z.



As you can see the equations above make an object stay at some certain coordinates away from the origin. Everything is solved,the only problem is that I don't understand it.
I understand how we get y,but the x and z are sci fi for me,I mean why does x use sin on both phi and theta and z uses sin and cos?

Take it easy on me,I suck at math,and in the last 3 days I've been trying to understand those equations.If you know why everything is like that,please explain with as many details as you can,so I can finally understand and sleep...
 
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\phi is the angle between the object's position and the y-axis. We decompose the position vector into a part parallel to the y-axis and a part perpendicular, which must then lie in the zx-plane.

Considering just that last part--the part of the position vector that lies in the zx-plane--and find the angle that makes with the -z-axis. This is the angle \theta.

Everything in this procedure is just about drawing right triangles, see?
 
I am studying the mathematical formalism behind non-commutative geometry approach to quantum gravity. I was reading about Hopf algebras and their Drinfeld twist with a specific example of the Moyal-Weyl twist defined as F=exp(-iλ/2θ^(μν)∂_μ⊗∂_ν) where λ is a constant parametar and θ antisymmetric constant tensor. {∂_μ} is the basis of the tangent vector space over the underlying spacetime Now, from my understanding the enveloping algebra which appears in the definition of the Hopf algebra...

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