How do we know we're not upside down?
2006-11-14 13:54:25 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
It's arbitrary. We can say whatever side we want is north.
2006-11-14 13:56:28 · answer #1 · answered by Chris J 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
even if the world was upside down it would still be north because north is up!
2006-11-14 21:55:54 · answer #2 · answered by * 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A compass needle points north because it is attracted to that pole of the magnetic field surrounding Earth. Beyond that, north is just a term - it's like asking what if cat actually spelled dog.
2006-11-14 22:03:50 · answer #3 · answered by JBarleycorn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is defined by the right hand rule. The earth rotates in the direction of the fingers and the thumb points to North, besides there is no pole star in the southern hemisphere just a cross and you have to take that on faith. Thus if you are left handed you are standing on your head.
2006-11-14 22:03:35 · answer #4 · answered by sunny d 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
north is just a label, a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.
also upside down, or any other orientation depends on what it is being referenced to
2006-11-14 22:05:13 · answer #5 · answered by bob 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The gyro points true north, and we are already upside down in prespective.
2006-11-14 22:03:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There really is no up or down as far as our planet is concerned, it's just a decision somebody (probably wanting to be on top...) made. we could be "upside down"
2006-11-14 22:05:18 · answer #7 · answered by queen42anne 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The compass tells us which way is north. It switches once in awhile (tens of thousands of years), then we get ice ages and all that bad stuff. When the poles flip its bad news/
2006-11-14 21:57:04 · answer #8 · answered by kurticus1024 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
North and South are an arbitary construct... it's just by convention that 'North' is the direction we say it is.
2006-11-14 21:57:47 · answer #9 · answered by wilkes_in_london 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋