The Four Transformations

Understanding Four Transformations

Get to know the four types of transformations in geometry: Translation, Reflection, Rotation, and Enlargement.

Identify a translation as a transformation that moves every point of a shape by the same distance and the same direction.
Understand that a translation is described by a vector, which tells you how far and in what direction to move.

Acknowledge a reflection as a transformation that flips a shape about a fixed line, called the mirror line.
Recognise that the distance from the shape to the mirror line is the same as the distance from the mirror line to the transformed shape.

Understand a rotation as a transformation that turns a shape around a fixed point, referred to as the centre of rotation.
Know that a rotation is specified by the angle of rotation and the direction (clockwise or anticlockwise).
Be aware that every point in a shape moves along a circular arc around the centre of rotation.

Define an enlargement as a transformation that changes the size of a shape but keeps its shape and orientation.
Learn that an enlargement is specified by a scale factor and a centre of enlargement.
Appreciate that each point in the shape moves away from or towards the centre of enlargement by a factor corresponding to the scale factor.

Realise that transformations can be combined to form a more complex transformation.
Practice identifying which transformation has been applied to a shape.
Recognise that a shape and its transformation have the same area except in the case of enlargement.
Identify that the orientation of a shape stays the same in a reflection, but changes in a rotation or in a certain enlargement.
Acknowledge that aside from translations, all other transformations have a fixed point that does not move during the transformation.