Question : vectors in space

Hi

I have scanned a diagram. I don't know what it is trying to say about the right hand rule. What has the corkscrew got to do with it? I think its saying that if you rotated a line from X to Y and if, as you rotate,the line gets higher and higher up the z axis then it would move in a right handed corskscrew.

But i'm not sure what this has to do with anything. I've never seen x y and z axes drawn like this so maybe that's the problem. Perhaps you can have a left handed set of axes and thats what this distinction has been made for

thanks

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Answer : vectors in space

The Right-Hand rule means that if you position the x and y axes of  a three dimensional axis system so that as the x-axis is rotated to the y-axis position as if you were gasping with your right hand, and rotating as if you were closing you your fist (fingers rotating into the palm of your hand), your Thumb would be pointing along the direction of the POSITIVE z-axis.  That is what the description is trying to say.

AW