The Polar to Cartesian Coordinates calculator computes the 2D coordinates for a vector given based on the polar coordinates. ![](https://www.vcalc.com/attachments/ae4e6b10-6600-11ef-98f1-bc764e203090/polar-coordinates.PNG)
INSTRUCTIONS: Enter the following:
- (r) Radius
- (θ) Polar Angle
Cartesian Coordinates (x,y): The calculator returns the vector as a real numbers.
The Math / Science
The formula for Cartesian to Polar coordinates is:
- x = r ⋅ cos(θ)
- y = r ⋅ sin(θ)
where:
- r = magnitude of the (x,y) vector
- θ = polar angle
- (x,y) = coordinates of (x,y) vector
Polar coordinates are a two-dimensional coordinate system in which a point in the plane is determined by its distance from a reference point and the angle relative to a reference direction.
Here’s how polar coordinates work:
- Reference Point (Pole): The fixed point in the system is called the pole, typically represented as the origin (0, 0) in Cartesian coordinates.
- Radial Distance (r): The distance from the pole to the point in question. It is always a non-negative value (r ≥ 0).
- Angle (θ): The angle measured counterclockwise from the positive x-axis to the line connecting the point to the pole. The angle can be in degrees or radians and can be positive (counterclockwise direction) or negative (clockwise direction).
![](https://www.vcalc.com/attachments/c4c9aca4-660e-11ef-98f1-bc764e203090/polar-coordinates.PNG)
In polar coordinates, a point is represented as (r,θ), where:
- r is the radial distance.
- θ is the angle.
k⋅V - scalar multiplication
- V/k - scalar division
- V / |V| - Computes the Unit Vector
- |V| - Computes the magnitude of a vector
- U + V - Vector addition
- U - V - Vector subtraction
- |U - V| - Distance between vector endpoints.
- |U + V| - Magnitude of vector sum.
- V • U - Computes the dot product of two vectors
- V x U - Computes the cross product of two vectors
- V x U • W - Computes the mixed product of three vectors
- Vector Angle - Computes the angle between two vectors
- Vector Area - Computes the area between two vectors
- Vector Projection - Compute the vector projection of V onto U.
- Vector Rotation - Compute the result vector after rotating around an axis.
- Vector Components 3D - Returns a vector's magnitude, unit vector, spherical coordinates, cylindrical coordinates and angle from each axis.
- (ρ, θ, φ) to (x,y,z) - Spherical to Cartesian coordinates
- (x,y,z) to (ρ, θ, φ) - Cartesian to Spherical coordinates
- (r, θ, z) to (x,y,z) - Cylindrical to Cartesian coordinates
- (x,y,z) to (r, θ, z) - Cartesian to Cylindrical coordinates
- (x,y) to (r, θ) - Cartesian to Polar
- (r, θ) to (x,y) - Polar to Cartesian
- Vector Normal to a Plane Defined by Three Points