Obvious question on angles and solid-angles

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the relationship between differential solid angles and oriented differential surface areas, specifically expressed by the formula dω = (dA · cosθ) / r². Here, dA represents the differential surface area, θ is the angle between the normal of dA and the direction from the origin, and r is the distance from the origin to the center of dA. The participants emphasize the importance of understanding this relationship for applications in geometry and physics, despite the authors deeming it "obvious." The derivation of this formula is crucial for grasping concepts in both 2D and 3D geometries.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of differential geometry concepts
  • Familiarity with solid angles and their applications
  • Basic knowledge of trigonometry, particularly cosine functions
  • Experience with vector calculus, especially in relation to surface integrals
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  • Research the derivation of solid angle formulas in 3D geometry
  • Study vector calculus applications in physics, focusing on surface integrals
  • Explore the implications of solid angles in fields like computer graphics and optics
  • Learn about the relationship between differential areas and angles in higher dimensions
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This discussion is beneficial for physicists, mathematicians, and computer graphics professionals who require a solid understanding of angles and solid angles in their work, particularly in applications involving geometry and spatial analysis.

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"obvious" question on angles and solid-angles

Hello,
I have found in http://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/hostings/cescg/CESCG97/csebfalvi/node2.html" an important statement about solid angles. Namely, the differential solid angle d\omega is related to an oriented differential surface area dA placed at distance r from the origin in the following way:

d\omega = \frac{dA \cdot cos\theta}{r^2}

where \theta is the angle between the normal of dA and the direction from the origin (see the figure in the http://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/hostings/cescg/CESCG97/csebfalvi/node2.html" ), and r^2 is the squared distance between the origin and the "centre" of dA.

The authors say that this very "obvious", but it is not for me, not even in the 2D case with ordinary angles.
How can I derive this result?
 
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