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Match shapes after reflection

A reflection flips a two-dimensional shape across a mirror line: the shape’s size, side lengths, corners, and overall form stay the same, while its orientation and position change. Learners match an original shape with its reflected image by comparing corresponding parts and their equal distances from a clear vertical or horizontal line, distinguishing a flip from a turn; coordinate rules and more general reflection cases are not included.

Detailed Explanation: Match shapes after reflection

A reflection is a flip over a mirror line. The shape keeps the same size and form, but it appears on the other side of the line.

To match a shape with its reflection:

  1. Find the mirror line.
  2. Check that the image is the same size and has the same number of corners.
  3. Look for parts that switch sides of the line.
  4. Make sure each part is the same distance from the mirror line.
  5. Remember: a reflection is a flip, not a turn.

Example

The vertical line is the mirror line:

Original        Mirror line        Reflected image

■               |                  ■
■               |                  ■
■■              |                 ■■

The original shape is an L-shape.

  • It has the same 4 squares in both pictures.
  • The vertical part stays vertical.
  • The extra square at the bottom changes from the right side to the left side.
  • Each square is the same distance from the mirror line as its matching square.
  • The shape has flipped, but it has not turned.

So the shape on the right is the reflection of the shape on the left.

Learn by doing: Match shapes after reflection

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    Transformations - Identify Reflections

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