Final answer:
The direction of the applied torque when opening a laptop facing you is leftward, as determined by the right-hand rule.
Step-by-step explanation:
When you open a laptop facing you, you apply a force that creates a rotational effect, which is known as torque. According to the conventions used in physics, the direction of torque is determined using the right-hand rule. For a typical laptop, you would move the screen upwards by applying a force, and your fingers would curl in the direction of rotation, which is away from you. As per the right-hand rule, your thumb would then point to the left, indicating that the torque is to the left, hence the direction of the applied torque is leftward. It is important to note that torque is a vector quantity and its direction is perpendicular to the plane formed by the radius (r) and the force (F) vectors.