RIGHT

, in Geometry, something that lies evenly or equally, without inclining or bending one way or another. Thus, a Right-line is that whose small parts all tend the same way. In this sense, Right means the same as straight, as opposed to curved or crooked.

Right-Angle, that which one line makes with another upon which it stands so as to incline neither to one side nor the other. And in this sense the word Right stands opposed to oblique.

Right-angled, is said of a figure when its sides are at Right angles or perpendicular to each other.—This sometimes holds in all the angles of the figure, as in squares and rectangles; sometimes only in part, as in right-angled triangles.

Right Cone, or Cylinder, or prism, or pyramid, one whose axis is at right-angles to the base.

Right-lined Angle, one formed by Right lines.

Right Sine, one that stands at Right-angles to the diameter; as opposed to versed sine.

Right Sphere, is that where the equator cuts the horizon at Right angles; or that which has the poles in the horizon, and the equinoctial in the zenith.

Such is the position of the sphere with regard to those who live at the equator, or under the equinoctial. The consequences of which are; that they have no latitude, nor elevation of the pole; they see both poles of the world, and all the stars rise, culminate and set; also the sun always rises and descends at Right angles, and makes their days and nights equal. In a Right sphere, the horizon is a meridian; and if the sphere be supposed to revolve, all the meridians successively become horizons, one aster another.

Right Ascension, Descension, Parallax, &c. See the respective Articles.

Right Circle, in the Stereographic Projection of the Sphere, is a circle at Right angles to the plane of projection, or that is projected into a Right line.

Right Sailing, is that in which a voyage is performed on some one of the four cardinal points, east, west, north, or south.

If the ship sail on a meridian, that is, north or south, she does not alter her longitude, but only changes the latitude, and that just as much as the number of degrees she has run.

But if she sail on the equator, directly east or west, she varies not her latitude, but only changes the longitude, and that just as much as the number of degrees she has run.

And if she sail directly east or west upon any parallel, she again does not change her latitude, but only the longitude; yet not the same as the number of degrees of a great circle she hath sailed, as on the equator, but more, according as the parallel is remoter from the equinoctial towards the pole. For the less any parallel is, the greater is the difference of longitude answering to the distance run.