Radius of Triaxial / Scalene Ellipsoid

In summary, the conversation discusses the issue of calculating the radius of a triaxial ellipsoid using a previous post as a reference. The equations (1), (2), and (3) are substituted into (4) to solve for the radius (5). However, the division by zero occurs due to the products of squares of cosines and sines. The issue is resolved by fixing equation (5) to the correct form.
  • #1
AwooOOoo
2
0
Hi,
I have been referencing this (https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/radius-of-ellipsoid.251321/) previous post to calculate the radius of a Triaxial Ellipsoid (a>b>c), but I'm running into some issues.

Let
0 ≤ ϕ ≤ π
0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π

and
x=r * cos(θ) * sin(ϕ) (1)
y=r * sin(θ) * sin(ϕ) (2)
z=r * cos(ϕ) (3)

sub into
Ellipse: (x/a)2+(y/b)2+(z/c)2=1 (4)

and solve for r
##r=\sqrt{\frac{a^2}{{cos^2\theta}{sin^2\phi}}+\frac{b^2}{{sin^2\theta}{sin^2\phi}}+\frac{c^2}{cos^2\phi}}## (5)

The issue is that the products squares of the cosines and sines drive a division by zero.

For instance

if a = 100, θ = 0, ϕ = 0

the first part of eqn (5) is

##\frac{a^2}{{cos^2\theta}{sin^2\phi}} = \frac{10000}{cos(0) * cos(0) * sin(0) * sin(0)} = \frac{100^2}{1 * 1 * 0 * 0}=\frac{10000}{0} = DIV / 0##

I'm missing something obvious I'm sure, what is it?

Thanks, Paul.
 
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  • #2
Fixed it... equation 5 was wrong

##r = \sqrt{\frac{a^2b^2c^2}{b^2c^2{sin^2\theta}{cos^2\phi}+a^2c^2{sin^2\theta}{sin^2\phi}+a^2b^2{cos^2\phi}}} ##
 

Related to Radius of Triaxial / Scalene Ellipsoid

What is the formula for finding the radius of a triaxial/scalene ellipsoid?

The formula for finding the radius of a triaxial/scalene ellipsoid is:
r = (a * b * c) / ∛(a * b * c)

What do the variables a, b, and c represent in the formula for finding the radius?

In the formula, a, b, and c represent the semi-axis values of the ellipsoid. Specifically, a is the semi-major axis, b is the semi-intermediate axis, and c is the semi-minor axis.

Can the radius of a triaxial/scalene ellipsoid be negative?

No, the radius of a triaxial/scalene ellipsoid cannot be negative. It is a positive value that represents the distance from the center of the ellipsoid to its surface.

How is the radius of a triaxial/scalene ellipsoid different from that of a sphere?

The radius of a triaxial/scalene ellipsoid is different from that of a sphere because a sphere has all three semi-axes of equal length, while a triaxial/scalene ellipsoid has three different semi-axes. This results in a different shape and size for the two objects.

Is the radius of a triaxial/scalene ellipsoid affected by the orientation of the ellipsoid?

Yes, the radius of a triaxial/scalene ellipsoid is affected by the orientation of the ellipsoid. The semi-axes of the ellipsoid determine the radius, and if the orientation of the ellipsoid changes, the length of the semi-axes will also change, resulting in a different radius.

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