Direction
 | This article does not have any sources. (September 2015) |
Direction is where an imaginary line is going. When something follows the line, it is moving in that direction. People show directions by pointing.
The word direction is made from the root direct meaning to guide. When you ask how to get to a place, people will tell you what directions to go.
Directions from a person
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Sometimes you can talk about a direction from the way you are facing, or the way another person is facing. When you turn to face a different way, these directions change.
Forward is the direction that you are facing or that your are going. Backward is the direction of your back or the direction that you are coming from. These are opposite directions, which means that they are away from each other
To find which is your left hand side, open your hands fully, point your palms away from you, and stick your thumbs out towards each other. The fingers and thumb of your left hand will form a capital letter L.
If the letter L you make is reversed, you found your right hand. Left and right are opposite directions.
Certain topics, such as boat positions and anatomy, use particular terms of direction.
Vertical Directions
[change | change source]Up is the direction to the roof and the sky, and down is the direction to the floor and the ground.
The top of something is the side which faces up, and the bottom of something is the side which faces down.
Horizontal Directions
[change | change source]| Northwest | North | Northeast |
|---|---|---|
| West | East | |
| Southwest | South | Southeast |
Directions along the ground are represented by North, East, South, and West. You can find them with a compass.
South is towards the South Pole in Antarctica, and North is towards the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean. When a map is on a wall, the north side is pointing up.
East is the direction that you see the sun rise in the morning, and west is the direction that you see the sun set in the evening. However, if you live in the north then the sun will also be slightly south of you. If you live in the south then the sun will also be slightly north of you.
