11.1 Polar Coordinates

y Polar axis x Origin Pole

r Polar axis O Pole

Using polar coordinates plot the point 4 Polar axis O Pole

|r|

Using polar coordinates plot the point 4 O

Theorem Conversion from Polar Coordinates to Rectangular Coordinates

(a)

(b)

Find polar coordinates of a point whose rectangular coordinates are (-3, 4). A set of polar coordinates for the point (-3, 4)

Steps for Converting from Rectangular to Polar Coordinates STEP 1: Always plot the point (x, y) first. STEP 2: To find r, compute the distance from the origin to (x, y). STEP 3:

Steps for Converting from Rectangular to Polar Coordinates