Re: help!! Plot3D of ellipsoid
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg4943] Re: [mg4908] help!! Plot3D of ellipsoid
- From: "Paul R. Wellin" <wellin>
- Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 02:02:12 -0400
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
> I am trying to get a 3-d plot of an ellipsiod, of the equation
>
> (x^2/a^2) + (y^2/b^2) + (z^2/c^2) = 1
>
> manipulating the equation I can get
>
> z = (c^2 (1- (x^2/a^2) - (y^2/b^2)))^1/2
>
> then, with the constants defined, I write
>
> Plot3D[z,{x,0,a},{y,0,b}]
>
> Mathematica then spits out a bunch of errors
You will have to parametrize the surface. I'll leave the
details to you, but with a bit of work, you can parametrize
the ellipsoid as:
In[1]:=
ellipsoid[u_,v_] := {a Cos[u] Cos[v], b Sin[u] Cos[v], c Sin[v]}
Then you can generate your surface as:
In[2]:=
a = 1;
b = 1;
c = 2;
ParametricPlot3D[ellipsoid[u, v],
{u, 0, 2 Pi}, {v, -Pi/2, Pi/2}]
Out[2]= -Graphics3D-
You can fiddle with the parameters to get stretch the ellipse
in the x, y, or z directions.
---
Paul Wellin
Academic/Business Liaison
Wolfram Research, Inc.
100 Trade Center Drive
Champaign, IL 61820
phone: 217-398-0700
fax: 217-398-0747
email: wellin at wolfram.com
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