The direction of the torque can be found by the right-hand rule for cross products: put your fingers in the direction of the first vector () and your palm facing in the direction of the second vector (); your thumb will point in the direction of the cross product ().
The torque vector’s orientation is determined by the force acting on the axis. Torque is intuitively understood by everyone who has ever opened a door. When opening a door, the individual pushes on the side of the door that is furthest from the hinges. I t takes a lot more power to push on the side closest to the hinges.
Torque is a twisting force that tends to cause rotation. A bigger force does mean a bigger torque. For example, if you're pushing on a door, then the distance to the hinge is the perpendicular distance -- the line to the hinge is at 90 degrees to the force arrow (the direction you're pushing).
The torque vector points in the plane of the thumb if a hand is wrapped around the plane of rotation with the fingers oriented in the force vector. Torque is a measurement of the force required to spin an item around an axis.
The direction of the torque vector is found by convention using the right hand grip rule. If a hand is curled around the axis of rotation with the fingers pointing in the direction of the force, then the torque vector points in the direction of the thumb as shown in Figure 2.
Torque is inherently a vector quantity. Part of the torque calculation is the determination of direction. The direction is perpendicular to both the radius from the axis and to the force. It is conventional to choose it in the right hand rule direction along the axis of rotation.
counterclockwise directionNote that each force that acts in the counterclockwise direction has a positive torque, whereas each force that acts in the clockwise direction has a negative torque. The torque is greater when the distance, force, or perpendicular components are greater.
If the position vector and the force are contained in the xy - plane then the torque is either along the +z - axis or along the -z - axis. These two situations are shown in the figures below. Practice the right hand rule to reproduce the direction of the torque vector shown in the figures.
(Torque) The principle is used to determine the direction of the torque vector. If you grip the imaginary axis of rotation of the rotational force so that your fingers point in the direction of the force, then the extended thumb points in the direction of the torque vector.
The torque direction comes from the cross product of magnetic moment and field. The field is up, so for the cross product to be to the left, the fingers have to curl from out of the page upward. Therefore the magnetic moment points out of the page.
Torque is a vector quantity that has direction as well as magnitude. Turning the handle of a screwdriver clockwise and then counterclockwise will advance the screw first inward and then outward. By convention, counterclockwise torques are positive and clockwise torques are negative.
Oh, torque can be positive or negative. Let us say that a positive torque would make a stationary object rotate counter clockwise and a negative torque would make it rotate clockwise. If you switched these, it wouldn't really matter too much. Also, the torque does depend on the point about which it is calculated.
The direction of rotation is related to the direction of torque by a related right-hand rule. If you point your thumb in the direction of the torque, your fingers will curl in the direction of rotation. Clockwise rotation is caused by negative torques; counterclockwise rotation by positive torques.
The magnitude of the torque with respect to a given axis of rotation can be approached as the force times the lever arm with respect to that axis. The lever arm is the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation to the line of action of the force. The direction of the torque is given by the right hand rule.
However, it is clear that the torque is given by the vector equation, torque = r x F. The magnitude of the torque will not change if the directions of either or both of r and F is reversed.