Chapter 2:

Vector Algebra

Electromagnetics for Engineers

F.T. Ulaby

2-1 Basic Laws of Vector Algebra

2-2 Orthogonal Coordinate Systems
2-3 Transformations between Coordinate
Systems

2-1 Basic Laws of Vector Algebra

Magnitude and direction of a vector
Unit and base vectors
Equal and identical vectors
Addition and subtraction of vectors
Position and distance vectors
Vector multiplication:
Simple product = scalarvector kA,
Scalar or dot product AB,
Vector or cross product A x B (right-hand rule)
Scalar A(BxC), and vector triple products Ax(BxC).

 Magnitude and direction of a vector

Unit and base vectors

Equal and identical vectors

 Addition and subtraction of vectors

 Position vectors

Distance vector

 Vector multiplication
Simple product = scalarvector

Scalar or dot product, AB

Properties of the vectors dot product

Finding the smaller angle between two specified

vectors:

 Vector or cross product, A x B

Properties of the vectors cross product

 Scalar and vector triple products

Scalar triple product,

Vector triple product,

2-2

Orthogonal Coordinate Systems

(three perpendicular dimensional coordinates)

1. Cartesian Coordinates

Differential length, area, and volume in Cartesian coordinates

(cont) Cartesian Coordinates

Differential length:

Differential surface areas:

Differential volume:

2. Cylindrical Coordinates
(r, , z)

In cylindrical coordinates a vector is expressed as

Point P(r1,1, z1) in cylindrical coordinates:

(cont) Cylindrical Coordinates

Differential length:

Differential surface areas:

Differential volume:

3. Spherical Coordinates (R, , )

In spherical coordinates a vector is

expressed as

Point P(R1, 1, 1) in spherical coordinates:

(cont) Spherical Coordinates

Differential length:

Differential surface areas:

Differential volume:

2-3

Transformations between Coordinate Systems

A. Cartesian (x, y, z) to Cylindrical (r, , z)Transformations

Both systems share the coordinate z, and the relations between
the other two pairs of coordinates are:

The inverse relations are:

(cont) Cartesian to Cylindrical Transformations

Unit vectors relations:

The relations in terms of x and y:

,
The inverse relations are:
,

(cont) Cartesian to Cylindrical Transformations

Example:
A vector
transformed into
coordinates as follows:

and conversely:

in Cartesian coordinates can be

in cylindrical

B. Cartesian (x, y, z) to Spherical (R, , )Transformations

The inverse relations are:

(cont) Cartesian

to Spherical Transformations

The expressions of (

) in terms of (

The inverse relations are:

) are

(cont) Transformations between Coordinate Systems

Distance between Two Points in

all Three Orthogonal Coordinates
The distance d between points P1 and P2 is given by

In Cartesian coordinates

In cylindrical coordinates

In spherical coordinates