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The word "north" comes from an ancient Norse word for "left," because north is to your left when you're facing... what?

1) East
2) West
3) South
4) Up

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

North is to your left when you are facing east, based on Earth's rotation and the positions of the Sun during different times of the day.

The right answer is 1) East

Step-by-step explanation:

The Origin of "North"

The word "north" is believed to come from an ancient Norse word that means "left." When you are facing east, north would indeed be to your left.

This makes sense when you consider how Earth's axis of rotation defines the positions of the North and South Poles, and how Earth rotates toward the east, making north fall on the left side when looking eastwards.

Let's not forget however that our cardinal directions are consistent anywhere on Earth, except exactly at the poles, due to Earth's spherical shape.

Early observers could identify directions based on celestial movements, noting that the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

At noon, the Sun would be in the south in the northern hemisphere, hence north would be directly opposite. This understanding led to the creation of sundials and the use of cardinal directions as navigational tools, a practice that continues today.

The right answer is 1) East

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