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Coordinate system
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===Cartesian coordinate system=== {{Main|Cartesian coordinate system}} {{multiple image | total_width = 450 | image1 = Cartesian-coordinate-system.svg | caption1 = The [[Cartesian coordinate system]] in the plane | alt1 = | image2 = Rectangular coordinates.svg | caption2 = The Cartesian coordinate system in three-dimensional space | alt2 = }} The prototypical example of a coordinate system is the [[Cartesian coordinate system]]. In the [[plane (geometry)|plane]], two [[perpendicular]] lines are chosen and the coordinates of a point are taken to be the signed distances to the lines.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Anton | first1 = Howard | last2 = Bivens | first2 = Irl C. | last3 = Davis | first3 = Stephen | year = 2021 | title = Calculus: Multivariable | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=001EEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA657 | page = 657 | publisher = [[John Wiley & Sons]] | isbn = 978-1-119-77798-4 }}</ref> In three dimensions, three mutually [[Orthogonality|orthogonal]] planes are chosen and the three coordinates of a point are the signed distances to each of the planes.<ref>{{cite book |vauthors=Moon P, Spencer DE |year=1988 |chapter=Rectangular Coordinates (x, y, z) |title=Field Theory Handbook, Including Coordinate Systems, Differential Equations, and Their Solutions |edition=corrected 2nd, 3rd print |publisher=Springer-Verlag |location=New York |pages=9β11 (Table 1.01) |isbn=978-0-387-18430-2}}</ref> This can be generalized to create ''n'' coordinates for any point in ''n''-dimensional Euclidean space. Depending on the direction and order of the [[#Coordinate axis|coordinate axes]], the three-dimensional system may be a [[right-hand rule|right-handed]] or a left-handed system.
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