Transformations
Ages 10–15Difficulty adapts to you
Transformations
A transformation changes a shape’s position, orientation, or size. Translation slides, reflection flips, rotation turns, and enlargement scales.
Your goals
- ✓You can translate, reflect, rotate, and enlarge shapes.
- ✓You can use translation, reflection, rotation correctly.
- ✓You can track each vertex and preserve the shape unless it is enlarged.
Words to know
- translation:
- A slide that moves every point the same distance and direction.
- reflection:
- A flip across a mirror line.
- rotation:
- A turn around a fixed centre.
Examples
- 1Translate (2, 3) by vector (4, -1) to get (6, 2).
- 2Reflecting across the y-axis changes (3, 2) to (-3, 2).
More than one way to solve it
Try each method, then choose the one you can explain and check most clearly.
Method 1
Coordinate rule
- 1.Write each original coordinate.
- 2.Apply the transformation rule.
- 3.Plot and join the new points.
Example: Reflect across the y-axis with (x, y) → (-x, y).
Method 2
Tracing-paper visualisation
- 1.Trace the shape and mark the centre or mirror line.
- 2.Move or turn the tracing as instructed.
- 3.Mark the new vertices.
Example: Rotate tracing paper 90° clockwise around the marked centre.
Check these
- • Do not describe a transformation without its required direction, line, centre, angle, or scale factor.
- • Keep every number, symbol, label, and unit in its correct place.
- • Choose the method that makes each step easiest to explain and check.
Helpful habits
- • Read the whole question before choosing what to do.
- • Show one clear step at a time and check each step.
- • If you are stuck, draw a model, try smaller numbers, or revisit the example.
Now try your own
Create your own transformations example, solve it, and explain how you checked it.
Byte
Helpful Hints“Calculators are tools, not replacements for thinking!”