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designer:
Michael Danziger
educational validator: John Belcher published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology supported by the National Science Foundation
This three-dimensional simulation illustrates the different types of coordinate systems often used in studying electricity and magnetism: cartesian, cylindrical (polar), and spherical. It was developed to help students visualize vector fields to prepare them for studying electric and magnetic fields. No mathematics is presented. Each coordinate system has a distinct set of principle axes, represented by the three surfaces. Students may easily toggle among the three systems, move each system in any direction, and control the observation point in the three principle directions.
This item is part of a collection of visualizations developed by the MIT TEAL project. Lecture notes, labs, and Power Point presentations are also available as part of MIT's Open Courseware Repository: MIT Open Courseware: Electricity and Magnetism Please note that this resource requires Shockwave.
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![]() <a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=9934">National Science Foundation. MIT Physics 8.02: Vector Fields Visualizations - Coordinate Systems. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, July 31, 2008.</a>
![]() (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 2004), WWW Document, (http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/CoordinateSystems/coordsystems.htm).
![]() MIT Physics 8.02: Vector Fields Visualizations - Coordinate Systems (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 2004), <http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/CoordinateSystems/coordsystems.htm>.
![]() MIT Physics 8.02: Vector Fields Visualizations - Coordinate Systems. (2008, July 31). Retrieved February 8, 2025, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology: http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/CoordinateSystems/coordsystems.htm
![]() National Science Foundation. MIT Physics 8.02: Vector Fields Visualizations - Coordinate Systems. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, July 31, 2008. http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/CoordinateSystems/coordsystems.htm (accessed 8 February 2025).
![]() MIT Physics 8.02: Vector Fields Visualizations - Coordinate Systems. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. 31 July 2008. National Science Foundation. 8 Feb. 2025 <http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/CoordinateSystems/coordsystems.htm>.
![]() @misc{
Title = {MIT Physics 8.02: Vector Fields Visualizations - Coordinate Systems},
Publisher = {Massachusetts Institute of Technology},
Volume = {2025},
Number = {8 February 2025},
Month = {July 31, 2008},
Year = {2004}
}
![]() %T MIT Physics 8.02: Vector Fields Visualizations - Coordinate Systems %D July 31, 2008 %I Massachusetts Institute of Technology %C Cambridge %U http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/CoordinateSystems/coordsystems.htm %O application/shockwave ![]() %0 Electronic Source %D July 31, 2008 %T MIT Physics 8.02: Vector Fields Visualizations - Coordinate Systems %I Massachusetts Institute of Technology %V 2025 %N 8 February 2025 %8 July 31, 2008 %9 application/shockwave %U http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/CoordinateSystems/coordsystems.htm Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
Citation Source Information
The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual. The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References. The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation. The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ. MIT Physics 8.02: Vector Fields Visualizations - Coordinate Systems:
Is Part Of
MIT Physics 8.02 - Vector Fields Visualizations
A link to the full set of visualizations and Java applets relating to vector field, also created by MIT's TEAL project. relation by Caroline HallKnow of another related resource? Login to relate this resource to it. |
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