Rotating Shapes

Table Of Contents

🎬 Math Angel Video: How to Rotate a Shape

What is Rotation?

Diagram explaining rotation in geometry with examples, including the centre of rotation, direction (clockwise or anticlockwise), and angle.

⏩️ (0:01)

🛎️ Definition of Rotation in Maths:

A rotation is a transformation that turns a shape around a fixed point without changing its size or shape.

 

❇️ Key Concepts in Rotation:

  • Centre of Rotation:
    The fixed point the shape turns around.

  • Direction of Rotation:
    Either clockwise or anticlockwise.

  • Angle of Rotation:
    How far the shape is turned, measured in degrees (e.g., 90°, 180°, 270°).

 

❇️ Key Idea:

A rotation changes only the position of a shape. It keeps the shape the same size, same angles, only turned around the centre.

How to Rotate Shapes (Method 1: Using Tracing Paper)

Rotating shape P 90 degrees clockwise about point O on a coordinate grid, resulting in shape Q.

⏩️ (0:56)

Task:

Rotate shape P by 90° clockwise about point O.

 

🛎️ Steps to Rotate Using Tracing Paper:

  1. Trace the shape
    Place tracing paper over the shape and mark the key points on it carefully.

  2. Mark the centre of rotation
    Put a clear dot on the tracing paper exactly at point O.

  3. Rotate the tracing paper
    Turn the tracing paper 90° clockwise, keeping the pin or finger fixed on O.

  4. Redraw the shape
    Plot the new position of each point, then join them to form the rotated shape.

 

❇️ Key Idea:

Tracing paper lets you physically rotate the shape, so you can see exactly where every point moves.

How to Rotate Shapes (Method 2: Drawing Auxiliary Lines)

Rotating shape P 90° anticlockwise about point O using auxiliary lines, resulting in shape Q, shown on a grid with axes.

⏩️ (1:40)

Task:

Rotate shape P by 90° anticlockwise about point O.

 

🛎️ Steps to Rotate Using Auxiliary Lines:

  1. Join each vertex to the centre
    Draw a straight line from every point on the shape to the centre of rotation O.

  2. Rotate each line by the given angle
    Turn each line 90° anticlockwise.
    Keep the length of the line the same.

  3. Mark the new points
    After rotating each line, place the new point at the same distance from O as the original point.

  4. Draw the rotated shape
    Join the new points in the same order to form the rotated shape.

 

❇️ Key Idea:

By rotating each point around the centre and keeping the distance the same, you create an accurate rotated shape.

How to Describe the Rotation?

Rotating triangle P rotated 90° anticlockwise about the (2, 3) to triangle Q, with perpendicular bisectors intersecting at the centre of rotation.

⏩️ (2:28)

Task:

To describe the rotation from shape P to shape Q, follow these steps:

 

1. Find the centre of rotation

  • Join a point on P to its matching point on Q. Draw the perpendicular bisector of this line.
  • Repeat with a second pair of matching points.
  • The bisectors meet at (2, 3), this is the centre of rotation.

 

2. Work out the angle

  • Draw a line from the centre of rotation (2, 3) to a point on shape P, and a line from the centre to the matching point on Q.
  • Measure the angle between these two lines. In this case, the angle between the two lines is a right angle, so the rotation is 90°.

 

3. Work out the direction

  • Moving from right → up is moving anticlockwise around the centre.
  • So the rotation is anticlockwise.

 

❇️ Final Description:

Shape P is rotated 90° anticlockwise about the point (2, 3) to get shape Q.

🍪 Practice: Test Your Understanding with Rotations

0%

Rotating Shapes

1 / 6

Q: What is the fixed point around which a shape rotates called?

2 / 6

Q: What does the angle of rotation describe?

3 / 6

Q: To rotate a shape 180° around a fixed point, does the direction of rotation matter?

4 / 6

Q: If you rotate a shape 90° clockwise, then rotate it another 180° clockwise, what is the final position of the shape?

5 / 6

Q: What is equivalent to rotating a shape 540° clockwise?

6 / 6

Q: Find the center of Rotation.

 

A coordinate grid showing triangle P, labelled as "Original Shape" in the second quadrant and triangle Q, labelled as "Rotated Shape".

Your score is

The average score is 40%

0%

🎩 Stuck on Rotation Problems? Ask AI Maths Solver

Need math help? Chat with our AI Math Solver at the bottom right — available 24/7 for instant answers.

2 Comments
0 0 votes
Article Rating
guest
2 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *