Definition:Orientation of Coordinate Axes/Cartesian Plane/Right-Handed

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This page is about Orientation in the context of Analytic Geometry. For other uses, see Orientation.

Definition

A Cartesian plane is defined as being right-handed if it has the following property:

Let a right hand be placed, with palm uppermost, such that the thumb points along the $x$-axis in the positive direction, such that the thumb and index finger are at right-angles to each other.

Then the index finger is pointed along the $y$-axis in the positive direction.


Right-hand-cartesian-plane.png


Also known as

A right-handed orientation of a Cartesian plane is also referred to as:

the positive orientation
the standard orientation.


Also see


Sources