Translating and Reflecting Shapes

Mathematics · Geometry · ages 10-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

To translate a point 3 units right, what do you do to its x-coordinate?
- Add 3
- Subtract 3
- Leave it the same
Reflecting a shape in the y-axis flips the sign of the y-coordinate.
Circle one: True False
To reflect a point in the x-axis, what happens to its y-coordinate?
- It stays the same
- It flips sign
- It swaps with the x-coordinate
Point A is at (3, 4) on a coordinate grid. You reflect it in the x-axis. Where does it land?
- (3, -4)
- (-3, 4)
- (-3, -4)
- (4, 3)
True or false: when you reflect a point in the x-axis, the x-coordinate stays the same and the y-coordinate changes its sign.
Circle one: True False
Point B is at (2, 5). You reflect it in the y-axis. What are the coordinates of the reflected point?
- (-2, 5)
- (2, -5)
- (-2, -5)
- (5, 2)
A triangle has a vertex at (1, 3). After translating the triangle 3 units right and 2 units down, where is this vertex now?
- (4, 1)
- (4, 5)
- (-2, 1)
Point C is at (6, 1). It is reflected in the x-axis. What is the y-coordinate of the reflected point?
Answer: ______________
Point D is at (4, 3). After it is reflected in the y-axis, which quadrant is it in?
- Quadrant I
- Quadrant II
- Quadrant III
- Quadrant IV
Which statement correctly describes the difference between translating and reflecting a shape on a grid?
- Translating and reflecting both flip the sign of every coordinate
- Translating flips the sign of one coordinate; reflecting adds or subtracts a fixed amount
- Translating adds or subtracts the same amount from every coordinate; reflecting flips the sign of one coordinate

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Translating and Reflecting Shapes W1-mt_lxaM6iVpdr-s1

Add 3 · Moving right on a grid means adding to the x-coordinate.
False · Reflecting in the y-axis flips the x-coordinate, not the y-coordinate. Reflecting in the x-axis flips the y-coordinate.
It flips sign · Reflecting in the x-axis flips the y-coordinate to its opposite sign.
(3, -4) · The x-axis is the mirror line, so the point flips straight down. The x-coordinate stays 3 and the y-coordinate changes sign, giving (3, -4).
True · True. Reflecting in the x-axis flips the point up or down, so only the y-coordinate changes sign. The x-coordinate is untouched.
(-2, 5) · Reflecting in the y-axis flips the point sideways, so the x-coordinate changes sign and the y-coordinate stays the same: (-2, 5).
(4, 1) · Add 3 to x (1 + 3 = 4) and subtract 2 from y (3 - 2 = 1), giving (4, 1).
-1 · Reflecting in the x-axis changes the sign of the y-coordinate only, so y = 1 becomes y = -1.
Quadrant II · Reflecting (4, 3) in the y-axis gives (-4, 3). A point with a negative x and a positive y sits in Quadrant II.
Translating adds or subtracts the same amount from every coordinate; reflecting flips the sign of one coordinate · Translating is a slide using addition or subtraction; reflecting is a flip that only changes the sign of one coordinate.