Suuntanuolia

Suuntanuolia is a graphical element used to indicate direction in diagrams, maps, and interfaces. It designates the orientation of a quantity or object and, in many contexts, its length encodes magnitude. The term is rooted in Finnish, combining suunta (direction) and nuoli (arrow).

In mathematics and physics, a suuntanuoli serves as a vector arrow: the arrow points in the direction of the vector, and its length represents magnitude. It is used to depict quantities such as force, velocity, or displacement in problem diagrams and on coordinate plots. In these contexts, multiple suuntanuolia may illustrate a set of vectors, often with normalization or scaling to aid comparison.

In cartography and meteorology, suuntanuolia are used to show wind direction, ocean currents, or travel bearing on charts and weather maps. On user interfaces and technical drawings, arrows indicate navigation flow, orientation of components, or the direction of movement, with visual cues such as color, thickness, or dashed versus solid lines conveying additional meaning.

Linguistic notes: the word suuntanuolia derives from suunta (direction) and nuoli (arrow). The form suuntanuolia is a case form used in Finnish sentences, and is typically translated as “a direction arrow” in English. See also vector, arrow notation, and direction field for related concepts.