Spherical coordinates, angle question

In summary, spherical coordinates are a system of coordinates used to locate points on a sphere or a three-dimensional space. They use two angles, the polar angle and the azimuthal angle, along with a radial distance from the origin. They are different from Cartesian coordinates as they use angles to locate points, and are useful for describing points on a curved surface. To convert between spherical and Cartesian coordinates, specific equations can be used. The range of values for spherical coordinates vary, with the polar angle ranging from 0 to π, the azimuthal angle ranging from 0 to 2π, and the radial distance being any positive real number. Spherical coordinates have various real-life applications in navigation, astronomy, physics, engineering, and computer graphics.
  • #1
gr3g1
71
0
Hey guys,
Im trying to figure out how the angles for the following sphere are obtained.


[itex] x^{2} + y^{2} + z^{2} = 4, y = x, y = \sqrt[]{3}x, z = 0 [/itex]


I understand that the integral is:

[itex]\int_{0}^{\pi/2}\int_{\pi/4}^{?}\int_{0}^{2}[/itex]

However, I can't not see how the "?" interval is found! I know it is using y = sqrt(3)*x
pi/4 was determined because 90/2 = 45 degrees.

Thanks in advance

 
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  • #2
Look at the xy plane from "above," and draw the region bounded by y=x, y=sqrt(3)*x, and the circle of radius 2 centered at origin. Where are the intersection points? Any famous angles?
 

Related to Spherical coordinates, angle question

1. What are spherical coordinates?

Spherical coordinates are a system of coordinates used to locate points on a sphere or a three-dimensional space. It uses two angles, the polar angle and the azimuthal angle, along with a radial distance from the origin.

2. How are spherical coordinates different from Cartesian coordinates?

Spherical coordinates use angles to locate points, while Cartesian coordinates use perpendicular distances from the x, y, and z axes. Spherical coordinates are useful for describing points on a curved surface, while Cartesian coordinates are more commonly used for flat surfaces.

3. How do you convert between spherical and Cartesian coordinates?

To convert from spherical coordinates to Cartesian coordinates, you can use the following equations:
x = r sinθ cosϕ
y = r sinθ sinϕ
z = r cosθ
where r is the radial distance, θ is the polar angle, and ϕ is the azimuthal angle. To convert from Cartesian coordinates to spherical coordinates, you can use the following equations:
r = √(x² + y² + z²)
θ = arccos(z/r)
ϕ = arctan(y/x)

4. What is the range of values for spherical coordinates?

The polar angle θ ranges from 0 to π, while the azimuthal angle ϕ ranges from 0 to 2π. The radial distance r can be any positive real number.

5. How can spherical coordinates be used in real-life applications?

Spherical coordinates are commonly used in navigation and astronomy, as they are useful for locating points on the Earth's surface and in the sky. They are also used in physics and engineering to describe the location of points in three-dimensional space. Additionally, they are used in computer graphics and 3D modeling to represent the position of objects in a virtual space.

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