Clockwise or anti-clockwise?

Question

Why is it that in the Northern Hemoshere you tighten a screw by turning it clockwise but in the Southern Hemoshere you must turn it anticlockwise?

Answer 1

For the same reason they use 20 hour metric days.

Answer 2

It is all relative to your orientation of view and your social custom.
When you screw something down, the orientation of the screw is point downward and the rotation, as viewed from looking at the head , is clockwise - in the Northern Hemisphere - of practical people.
So then, when you "screw something up" in the Northern Hemisphere the screw is oriented point UPward and so the rotation , as also viewed from the head , would also be clockwise, but as viewed by a friend watching you "screw up" the rotation would be anti-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Your practical friend would tell you about it and laugh and tell everybody else too.
However, in the Southern Hemisphere - of polite people , whenever someone "screws up" it is ignored and the anti- clockwise rotation is said to be proper . Therefore, all rotation in the Southern Hemisphere - of polite people, is said to be anti-clockwise so as not to embarrass the "scerw ups" who don't know any better because their friends don't say anything about it, but everybody laughs anyway.

Answer 3

A number of years ago I sailed a boat into the Southern Hemisphere. We needed to overhaul a winch. Lo and behold the screws loosened exactly the same way they did when we were in the Northern Hemisphere. What was really funny, though, is that several months later we sailed west and crossed the International Date Line and the date of manufacture stamped on the winch jumped from Wednesday, March 14, 1978 to Thursday, March 15, 1978!

You just never know how these things are going to work!

Answer 4

Most screws are tightened by turning them clockwise, the hemisphere has nothing to do with it. A few screws are tightened by turning counter-clockwise because the item they are controlling would loosen or come off if done otherwise.

Answer 5

Clockwise And Anticlockwise

Answer 6

I don't believe screws are left handed in the southern hemisphere (although the weather turns the other way- because as warm air moves toward the poles toward low pressure syustems, it is moving to the east faster than the air poleward of it; causing counterclockwise rotation around lows in the north and clockwise in the south).

Interestingly, though, in engineering and science, the West uses right handed coordinate systems- where x is like your index finger, z like your thumb pointed up, and y like your middle finger perpendicular to your palm; whereas in Russia, they use left hand coordinates- where y points opposite to right handed coordinates.

The only left hand screw I remember was the 'Institute Screw'- an annual award given to the least popular faculty member at MIT, voted by donations to charity. It was three feet long, slot headed, and had DOUBLE threads.

Another example of left hand threading is bicycle cranks where the pedal attaches. They are left hand threaded so they don't loosen as you pedal- in other words the force of the rider's foot tightens.

Answer 7

its called counter clockwise. And ive never heard of this, always righty tighty lefty loosey. But i have heard then when you drain a tub it drains clockwise in N and counterclockwise in the S. Not sure about the screw i dont think the hemisphere has anything to do with threading.

Answer 8

Sometimes i turn anti-clockwise because there are times that i disobey the rules,i stirred anti clockwise,i started to walk with my right foot,in wearing shoes right,the sponge is in the right one,i'd rather prefer the English because i hate calculus,right handed.

Answer 9

I'm living in the southern hemisphere, we tighten screws down here just the same as in the northern hemisphere.. I have a feeling you're confusing hardware with fluid dynamics..

Answer 10

Ther is threds that go clockwise and counter-clockwise not anti-clockwise

Answer 11

that's a load of rubbish
you can have a left hand thread or a left hand thread
wheel nuts on cars are a right hand thread this stops
them coming loose whether you are in Europe or Australia