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Rotation of Coordinate Axes

This document discusses rotating a Cartesian coordinate system about the z-axis by an angle θ. It defines the new primed unit vectors (i', j', k') in the rotated frame S' in terms of the original unprimed vectors (i, j, k) in frame S. Any vector A expressed in S will have different components (A'x, A'y, A'z) when viewed in the rotated frame S', but the magnitude and direction of the vector A remains unchanged. Rotating the coordinate axes does not change the vector itself.

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43 views2 pages

Rotation of Coordinate Axes

This document discusses rotating a Cartesian coordinate system about the z-axis by an angle θ. It defines the new primed unit vectors (i', j', k') in the rotated frame S' in terms of the original unprimed vectors (i, j, k) in frame S. Any vector A expressed in S will have different components (A'x, A'y, A'z) when viewed in the rotated frame S', but the magnitude and direction of the vector A remains unchanged. Rotating the coordinate axes does not change the vector itself.

Uploaded by

Jacob
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ROTATION OF COORDINATE AXES

directed along the


Consider a Cartesian coordinate system S with unit vectors i, j, and k
~ in this system can be expressed as
three axes x, y, and z, respectively. Any vector A

~ = Axi + Ayj + Az k
A

(1)

where its Cartesian components are given by


~ i,
Ax = A

~ j,
Ay = A

~ k
Az = A

Suppose that we rotate this system about the z axis through an angle . The new set of
axes in the rotated frame S 0 are x0 , y 0 , and z 0 ; where the corresponding set of new unit
0.
vectors denoted by i0 , j0 , and k
n

0 and i, j, k
we refer to
To set up the relations between the primed unit vectors i0 , j0 , k
0 . Letting
~ therein successively by i0 , j0 , and k
eq.(1), where we replace the any vector A
~ stand for i0 , for instance, we write
A
i0 = (i0 i) i + (i0 j) j + (i0 k)
k

Similarly, we obtain
j0 = (j0 i) i + (j0 j) j + (j0 k)
k

and
0 = (k
0 i) i + (k
0 j) j + (k
0 k)
k

k
Noting that
i0 i = j0 j = cos ,

i0 j = cos(/2 ),

we write
i0 = cos i + sin j
j0 = sin i + cos j
0 = k

j0 i = cos(/2 + )

~ eq.(1), having components Ax , Ay , Az in the original system S should


Note that vector A,
look somewhat different with modified components A0x , A0y , and A0z as viewed in the new
rotated frame S 0 , i,e., one writes
0
~ 0 = A0 i0 + A0 j0 + A0 k
A
x
y
z
Actually, this vector does not change neither in magnitude nor in direction. Whether
viewed in S or S 0 , it remains the same. What makes up the difference is the orientation
~ 0 = A,
~ we write
of the coordinate axes. Thus, having A
0 = Axi + Ayj + Az k

A0xi0 + A0yj0 + A0z k


Forming a scalar product of each of the six terms in the above equation by i0 one obtains
A0x = Ax (i0 i) + Ay (i0 j)
= Ax cos + Ay sin
Similarly one gets
A0y = Ax (j0 i) + Ay (j0 j)
= Ax ( sin ) + Ay cos
and
A0z = Az

Using the above relations one can easily show that


A0x2 + Ay0 2 + A0z2 = A2x + A2y + A2z
~ remains invariant under a
Thus, the conclusion reached here is that the magnitude of A
rotation of coordinate axes. In a similar manner one should also expect the dot product
~ B
~ to remain the same if the coordinate axes are rotated; simply because the dot
A
product of any two vectors is a scalar.

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