this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2024
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i don’t ever use bottle caps or cars. but in the case of screws (and bottle caps), the choice to make them tighten clockwise and loosen counter clockwise is entirely arbitrary.
my main point is that i think it’s confusing that clockwise is negatively oriented and counterclockwise is positively oriented (in the mathematical sense). and the mathematical definition of orientation is ultimately dependent on trigonometry. and it just feels wrong that clocks are negatively oriented.
no.
I'm not sure why you're saying its clocks that are wrong rather than the other stuff. Currently we have x = r cos(𝜃) and y = r sin(𝜃), and that's what makes anti-clockwise rotations mathematically natural. But if we instead just used x = r sin(𝜃) and y = r cos(𝜃) then clockwise would be the natural positive rotation. And in that case, the unit circle would start at the top and go around clockwise... like we do for compass bearing (and clocks of course). So perhaps that would be better than changing what clocks do.
"the choice is arbitrary".
Except it's not as many other have pointed out. You're just confused and trying to spread your confusion to others. Yes, advanced math gets complex, that's advanced math. Don't drag trig into this when you're just confused.
"the choice is arbitrary".
Except it's not as many other have pointed out. You're just confused and trying to spread your confusion to others. Yes, advanced math gets complex, that's advanced math. Don't drag trig into this when you're just confused.
Also "I don't use bottle caps or cars"? Seriously just buzz off with that. You don't live anywhere where you're not using the simple machine of a screw. I hope Archimedes is rolling clockwise in his grave right now.