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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.
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Mathematical Tools
- Coordinate Systems
- Vector Algebra
- High School
- Lower Undergraduate
- Instructional Material
= Interactive Simulation
- Audio/Visual
= Movie/Animation
Appropriate Courses Categories Ratings
- Algebra-based Physics
- AP Physics
- Activity
- New teachers
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Intended Users:
Learner
Educator
Formats:
application/shockwave
text/html
Access Rights:
Free access
License:
This material is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.
Rights Holder:
MIT Open Courseware (OCW): http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/terms/terms/index.htm
Keywords:
3D simulation, 3D vector fields, 3D visualization, Vector Fields, cartesian coordinates, interactive simulations, polar coordinates, representations, spherical coordinates, three-dimensional simulation, vector field simulation, vectors, visualization
Record Cloner:
Metadata instance created March 31, 2010 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:
April 15, 2010 by Caroline Hall
Last Update
when Cataloged:
July 31, 2008
Other Collections:

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Record Link
AIP Format
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 2004), WWW Document, (http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/visualizations/vectorfields/CoordinateSystems/coordsystems.htm).
AJP/PRST-PER
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>.
APA Format
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
Chicago Format
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).
MLA Format
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>.
BibTeX Export Format
@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} }
Refer Export Format

%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

EndNote Export Format

%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


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The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

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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 Hall

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