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Spherical Coordinates

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Spherical coordinates are a coordinate system in which points in three-dimensional space are given by two angles and a distance from the origin.

Spherical coordinates is a high school-level concept that would be first encountered in a pre-calculus course.

Prerequisites

Cartesian Coordinates: Cartesian coordinates are the usual coordinate system, originally described by Descartes, in which points are specified as distances to a set of perpendicular axes. Also called rectangular coordinates.
Polar Coordinates: Polar coordinates are a two-dimensional coordinate system in which points in two dimensions are given by an angle and a distance from the origin.
Sphere: A sphere is the set of all points in three-dimensional space that are located at a fixed distance from a given point.

Classroom Articles on Pre-Calculus (Up to High School Level)

  • Asymptote
  • Locus
  • Complex Conjugate
  • Logarithm
  • Complex Number
  • Natural Logarithm
  • Complex Plane
  • Normal Vector
  • Conic Section
  • Parabola
  • Cross Product
  • Parametric Equations
  • Curve
  • Plane
  • Determinant
  • Plane Curve
  • Domain
  • Range
  • Dot Product
  • Rational Function
  • e
  • Reflection
  • Ellipse
  • Rotation
  • Exponential Function
  • Rotation Matrix
  • Function
  • Scalar
  • Hyperbola
  • Tangent Line
  • i
  • Translation
  • Imaginary Number
  • Vector
  • Inverse Function