Persistent, Niggling Questions

[mudshark]

Originally Posted by NAHTMMM

Why do we open cans, bottles, toothpaste tubes, etc. by turning counter-clockwise but increase the volume on a radio by turning the knob clockwise?

Seems a bit inconsistent to me.

I think that's two separate things, really. Twist caps and such open with a counter-clockwise (or anti-clockwise, if you like) twist because someone (Archimedes, maybe) decided that a right-handed thread was The Way We Will Do Things (unless it really, really had to be left-handed.)

Volume knobs and other potentiometer-type controls work more in the reading-left-to-right sense -- Left = Lo/Min ---> Right = Hi/Max -- even though a rotary motion is used, it's a linear function.



Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.