We explain what horizontal and vertical are, their characteristics and examples of horizontal and vertical things.
What are horizontal and vertical?
When we talk about something horizontal or something vertical we are referring to its orientation, that is, to the way something is located in spacewhether we are talking about an object, a movement or a line. In general, to distinguish one sense from the other, it is enough to look at their respective names, as follows:
- Horizontal. Its name refers to the horizon, which is that imaginary line of flight that we see when contemplating a landscape, there at the bottom of everything. For example, if we stand on the seashore, the horizon will be that imaginary line that separates the sea from the sky in the distance. Thus, all things that are horizontal are arranged from left to right or vice versa: a man who sleeps, for example, does so in a horizontal position.
- Vertical. The word vertical comes from vertexwhich is the point where two lines join, forming an angle, as its two slopes do at the top of a mountain. Therefore, what is vertical is what connects the top and the bottom of a mountain, that is, what goes from top to bottom or vice versa. Therefore, vertical things are arranged this way, just like our own spine (the one that connects our head, above, to our feet, below).
In short, The horizontal is that which is arranged like the horizonthat is, lying down as when we sleep; while The vertical is that which connects with the vertex or the top of a mountain, that is, erect like our spine in the back.
Examples of horizontal things
To remember what horizontal means, we can think, in addition to the horizon, of the following things:
- The surface of a table or a piece of furniture on which we rest our notebook to write, without the latter falling to the floor.
- The ground same, as long as we are on a plain or plain and not on an inclined plane, like at the foot of a mountain.
- The top and bottom sides of a square.
- The layout of the computer keyboard.
- The provision of the spine of a dog.
Examples of vertical things
Similarly, to remember what vertical means we can think about the following things:
- The surface of a wall any.
- The provision of our spine.
- The right and left sides of a square.
- The way an object falls when we let go of his hand.
- The surface of the tv screen.
Continue with: Cartesian plane
References
- “Horizontal” in the Language Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Vertical” in the Language Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Horizontal” on Wikipedia.
- “Vertical” in Wikipedia.
