Why Is the Polar Form of the Position Vector Defined as r = r\vec{r}?

sherlockjones · Oct 31, 2006

If we have a position vector [tex]\vec{r} = x\vec{i} + y\vec{j}[/tex] why is the polar form of the equation [tex]r = r\vec{r}[/tex]? Don't we need two parameters to define a postition? And [tex]r[/tex] is the magnitude of [tex]\vec{r}[/tex]?

Thanks

geoffjb · Oct 31, 2006

sherlockjones said:

If we have a position vector [tex]\vec{r} = x\vec{i} + y\vec{j}[/tex] why is the polar form of the equation [tex]r = r\vec{r}[/tex]? Don't we need two parameters to define a postition? And [tex]r[/tex] is the magnitude of [tex]\vec{r}[/tex]?

Thanks

The two parameters are [itex]r[/itex] and [itex]\theta[/itex].

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PolarCoordinates.html

Why Is the Polar Form of the Position Vector Defined as r = r\vec{r}?

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