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right-hand rule
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common mnemonic for understanding orientation of axes in three-dimensional space
The right-hand rule is a simple trick where you use your right hand's fingers and thumb to figure out how three axes or directions relate to each other in three-dimensional space. It's useful because it gives you a quick, reliable way to determine the correct orientation without having to do complicated math.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
~14 min read
Encyclopedic overview
In mathematics and physics, the right-hand rule is a convention and a mnemonic utilized to define the orientation of axes in three-dimensional space and to determine the direction of the cross product of two vectors, as well as to establish the direction of the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.
The various right- and left-hand rules arise from the fact that the three axes of three-dimensional space have two possible orientations. This can be seen by holding your hands together with palms up and fingers curled. If the curl of the fingers represents a movement from the first or x-axis to the second or y-axis, then the third or z-axis can point along either right thumb or left thumb.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “right-hand rule” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.