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spherical_coordinates.tex

% Author: Izaak Neutelings (June 2017)
% taken from https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/159445/draw-in-cylindrical-and-spherical-coordinates
 
\documentclass{article} 
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{tikz-3dplot}
\tikzset{>=latex} % for LaTeX arrow head
 
% split figures into pages
\usepackage[active,tightpage]{preview}
\PreviewEnvironment{tikzpicture}
\setlength\PreviewBorder{1pt}%
 
\begin{document}
 
\tdplotsetmaincoords{60}{110}
\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=3,tdplot_main_coords]
 
  % variables
  \def\rvec{.8}
  \def\thetavec{30}
  \def\phivec{60}
 
  % axes & vector
  \coordinate (O) at (0,0,0);
  \draw[thick,->] (0,0,0) -- (1,0,0) node[anchor=north east]{$x$};
  \draw[thick,->] (0,0,0) -- (0,1,0) node[anchor=north west]{$y$};
  \draw[thick,->] (0,0,0) -- (0,0,1) node[anchor=south]{$z$};
  \tdplotsetcoord{P}{\rvec}{\thetavec}{\phivec}
    \draw[-stealth,color=red] (O) -- (P) node[above right] {$P$};
 
  % arcs
  \draw[dashed, color=red] (O) -- (Pxy);
  \draw[dashed, color=red] (P) -- (Pxy);
  \tdplotdrawarc[->]{(O)}{0.2}{0}{\phivec}
    {anchor=north}{$\phi$}
  \tdplotsetthetaplanecoords{\phivec}
  \tdplotdrawarc[->,tdplot_rotated_coords]{(0,0,0)}{0.5}{0}{\thetavec}
    {anchor=south west}{$\theta$}
 
\end{tikzpicture}
 
\end{document}