The term "hand formula" can refer to two distinct concepts:
1. The Anatomical Formula of the Hand:
- Humans have a 2-3-3-3-3 formula for the hand, meaning that the thumb has two phalanges, whilst the other fingers each have three.
- This formula is a concise way to describe the bony structure of the human hand.
2. The Learned Hand Formula:
- In law, the Learned Hand Formula is a legal test used to determine whether someone's conduct has created an unreasonable risk of harm.
- It is expressed as B < PL, where:
- B represents the burden of taking precautions to avoid the harm.
- P represents the probability of the harm occurring.
- L represents the magnitude of the harm.
- If the burden of taking precautions is less than the product of the probability of the harm and the magnitude of the harm, then the conduct is considered negligent.
Therefore, the "formula of hand" can refer to either the anatomical structure of the hand or a legal test for negligence.
