Converting equations

Now that we know how to convert between polar coordinate points (r, θ)
and rectangular coordinate points (x, y) using the conversion formulas,

x = r cos θ r2 = x2 + y2
y
y = r sin θ tan θ =
x

we can start using these same conversion formulas to convert between

polar and rectangular equations.

Converting polar equations

It’s common to see polar equations like r = 8 cos θ, where the equation is
defined for r in terms of θ, in the same way that it’s common to see
rectangular equations like y = x + 3, where the equation is defined for y in
terms of x.

But, just like we can have rectangular equations with only one variable, like
y = 2 and x = 4, we can also have polar equations with only one variable,
like r = 2 and θ = π. While y = 2 represents a perfectly horizontal line and
x = 4 represents a perfectly vertical line, r = 2 represents a perfect circle
around the pole and θ = π represents a line from the pole out toward the
angle θ = π.

We can convert all of these polar equations into rectangular equations.

Let’s do an example with an equation like r = 2.

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Example

Convert the polar equation r = 7 into rectangular coordinates.

To convert a polar equation in this form, we’ll plug r = 7 into the

conversion equation r 2 = x 2 + y 2.

72 = x 2 + y 2

x 2 + y 2 = 49

So both r = 7 and x 2 + y 2 = 49 represent a circle centered at (0,0) with radius

7. They are identical curves, but r = 7 is defined in polar coordinates, while
x 2 + y 2 = 49 is defined in rectangular coordinates.

Now let’s look at an example with an equation like θ = π.

Example

Convert the polar equation θ = π /3 into rectangular coordinates.

To convert a polar equation in this form, take the tangent of both sides of
the equation.

(3)
π
tan θ = tan

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Now we can use the conversion equation tan θ = y/x to get

(3)
y π
= tan
x

To simplify the right side, we’ll use the quotient identity for tangent to
rewrite tangent as sine over cosine.

sin ( π3 ) 3

(3) 2 (1)
π 2 3 2
tan = = = = 3
cos ( 3 )
π 1
2

Substituting this result, we get

y
= 3
x

y= 3x

Let’s do one last example, this time with the equation r = 8 cos θ, so that we
can see what happens when both r and θ are present in the equation.

Example

Convert the polar equation r = 8 cos θ into rectangular coordinates.

First, we’ll rewrite the conversion equation x = r cos θ as

x
cos θ =
r

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Now we can replace cos θ in r = 8 cos θ with x /r.

(r)
x
r=8

r 2 = 8x

Then with the conversion equation r 2 = x 2 + y 2, we can substitute x 2 + y 2 for

r 2.

x 2 + y 2 = 8x

x 2 − 8x + y 2 = 0

We weren’t asked to do this, but we could rewrite this rectangular

equation by completing the square with respect to x,

(x 2 − 8x + 16) − 16 + y 2 = 0

(x − 4)2 + y 2 = 16

to see that this is the equation of a circle with radius 4 centered at (4,0). Of
course, that also gives us a preview of the fact that the polar equation
r = 8 cos θ represents the circle with radius 4 centered at (4,0).

Converting rectangular equations

Now that we can convert polar equations into rectangular equations, let’s
work backwards and convert rectangular equations into polar equations.

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Converting this way it a little easier, because we can always use the
conversion equations x = r cos θ and y = r sin θ to make substitutions for x
and y. Every time we see an x, we’ll replace it with r cos θ, and every time
we see a y, we’ll replace it with r sin θ.

For some rectangular equations, the conversion formula x 2 + y 2 = r 2 can

come in handy as well. Let’s do an example.

Example

Convert the rectangular equation x 2 + y 2 = 64 into polar coordinates.

If we use the conversion equation x 2 + y 2 = r 2, we can see right away that

we get the polar curve r 2 = 64, or r = 8.

But we could have also used the conversion equations x = r cos θ and
y = r sin θ to arrive at the same answer.

(r cos θ)2 + (r sin θ)2 = 64

r 2 cos2 θ + r 2 sin2 θ = 64

r 2(cos2 θ + sin2 θ) = 64

If we remember the Pythagorean identity sin2 θ + cos2 θ = 1 from

Trigonometry, then we get

r 2(1) = 64

r 2 = 64

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 r=8

Let’s do another example where we can’t use x 2 + y 2 = r 2.

Example

Convert the rectangular equation y = 25x into polar coordinates.

Using the conversion equations x = r cos θ and y = r sin θ, we get

r sin θ = 25r cos θ

r sin θ
= 25
r cos θ

sin θ
= 25
cos θ

From the quotient identity for tangent, we can rewrite the left side of this
equation to get

tan θ = 25

We’ll do another one to get a little more practice.

Example

Convert the rectangular equation y = − 6x 2 into polar coordinates.

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Using the conversion equations x = r cos θ and y = r sin θ, we get

r sin θ = − 6(r cos θ)2

r sin θ
=−6
(r cos θ)(r cos θ)

( )
r sin θ 1
=−6
r cos θ r cos θ

( )
sin θ 1
=−6
cos θ r cos θ

The quotient identity for tangent from Trigonometry gives us

( r cos θ )
1
tan θ =−6

tan θ
=−6
r cos θ

tan θ
r=−
6 cos θ

Choosing the simpler system

This is a great time to point out that some equations are better expressed
in polar coordinates, while others are better expressed in rectangular
coordinates.

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In this previous example, the rectangular y = − 6x 2 is much easier to
understand than its equivalent polar equation,

tan θ
r=−
6 cos θ

So this equation is probably best expressed in rectangular coordinates, if

we get to choose which coordinate system to use. On the other hand, if
we look back at an earlier example, the equation r = 8 is a simpler way to
express x 2 + y 2 = 64, so polar coordinates might be better for that equation.

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