Transformation Notes

Transformation
A geometric transformation involves the movement of an object from one position to another
on a plane. The movement is accompanied by a change in position, orientation, shape or even
size. Some examples of transformations are translation, reflection, rotation and enlargement.
Translation
The translation is a transformation in which a plane figure slides along a straight line and
changes position without turning. Each translation is represented by a column matrix
𝑥
T= (𝑦), where x is the horizontal shift and y is the vertical rise or fall.

𝑥
Given a point A ( x, y), its image under translation A’(x, y) and translation vector T=(𝑦),

A’ = A + T

• A’ →(image)
• A →(object)

• T→ (translational vector)

Direction on the Cartesian Plane

A positive value of x denotes the movement is horizontal and to the right, while a negative
value of x denotes the movement is horizontal and to the left.

A positive value of y denotes the movement is vertical and upwards while a negative value of
y denotes the movement is vertical and downwards.

Describing a Translation

A translation is described by stating:

a) the direction of the movement

b) the distance moved by the object

Properties of Translation

When an object undergoes a translation, we can observe the following properties:

1. Each point on the object moves the same distance and in the same direction. Hence, lines
joining image points to object points are parallel to each other.

2. The size, shape and orientation of the image remain the same, though the position
changes.

3. A translation is an isometric or a congruent transformation, since both the object and the
image are congruent.
 Reflection

Reflection is a geometrical transformation of the plane in which object points are mapped
onto image points in such a way that the axis of reflection (mirror line) is a mediator.

Describing a Reflection

“To describe a reflection, we state the position of the mirror line. This is the straight line in
which the object is to be reflected. The mirror line can be any straight line – vertical,
horizontal or even slanted. When we perform reflections on a Cartesian Plane, we usually
describe the position of the mirror line by stating its equation.”

Types of reflections

Reflection in 𝒙 − 𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒔

Under the reflection in the x-axis (i.e mirror line y=0), the x coordinate remains unchanged
(invariant), but the y coordinate is multiplied by -1 (i.e change in sign).

That is,

𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) → 𝑃’(𝑥, −𝑦)

Reflection in 𝒚 − 𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒔

Under a reflection in the y-axis (i.e the mirror line x=0), the x coordinate is multiplied by -1
(i.e it changes its sign), but the y coordinate remains unchanged (invariant).

That is,

𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) → 𝑃’(−𝑥, 𝑦)

Reflection in line 𝒚 = 𝒙

Under a reflection in the line y=x (i.e a line inclined at 45° to the top of the positive x-axis
and passing through the origin), the x coordinate becomes the y coordinate, 3and the y
coordinate becomes the x coordinate.

That is,

𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) → 𝑃’(𝑦, 𝑥)

Reflection in the line 𝒚 = −𝒙

Under a reflection in the line 𝑦 = −𝑥 (i.e a line inclined at 45° to the top of the positive x-
axis and passing through the origin), the x coordinate multiplied by −1 becomes the y
coordinate and the y coordinate multiplied by −1 becomes the x coordinate.

That is,

𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) → 𝑃’(−𝑦, −𝑥)

Reflection in the line 𝒙 = 𝒃

Under reflection in the line 𝑥 = 𝑏, the x coordinate of the image is 2𝑏 − 𝑥 and the y
coordinate of the image 𝑦’ = 𝑦.

Hence,

𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑃’(2𝑏 − 𝑥, 𝑦)

Reflection in the line 𝒚 = 𝒄

Under the reflection in the line y=c, the x coordinate of the image, x’=x and the y coordinate

of the image is 2c-y.

That is,

𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑃’(𝑥, 2𝑐 − 𝑦)

Properties of Reflection

When an object undergoes a reflection, we can observe the following properties:

1. The object of the distance = The image of the distance

2. The image is laterally inverted

3. Reflection is a congruence transformation.

 Rotation

A rotation is a transformation in which every point turns through the same angle about the

same centre in the same direction. In a plane, rotation is about a single point called the centre

of rotation. The centre of rotation is the only point which does not change its position after

the rotation ( meaning, it is the one point that is invariant). The angle through which the

rotation takes place is called the angle of rotation. A rotation can either be:

✓ Clockwise ( −𝜃°)

✓ Anti-clockwise (counter clockwise) (+𝜃°)

Rotation on the Cartesian Plane

To locate the image under a rotation, we need to know the position of the object, the center of
rotation, the angle of rotation and the direction of the rotation. Geometrical instruments such
as a protractor, ruler and a pair of compasses will be required.

The steps on how to rotate an object in the Cartesian, given the centre, angle and direction of

rotation is as follows:

• Plot the points given, connect the points to form the shape and label the points.

• Draw a broken line from each point to the CENTRE OF ROTATION.

• Place the point of the compass on the centre of rotation, open the compass to the first

point of the object and draw a complete circle. Do the same for the other points.

• Place your protractor on the centre of rotation, align the ZERO (0) line on the broken

line measure and mark off the angle given.

• Use your ruler to draw a broken line from the centre of rotation towards the marked

off angle but stopping at a circle for that angle. Do the same for the other points.
 Image under a rotation under the origin (𝟎, 𝟎)

✓ Anti-clockwise Rotation through 90°

𝑅(0, +90°): (𝑥, 𝑦) → (−𝑦, 𝑥)

Anti-clockwise Rotation through 180°

𝑅(0, +180°): (𝑥, 𝑦) → (−𝑥, −𝑦)

Anti-clockwise Rotation through 270°

𝑅(0, +270°): (𝑥, 𝑦) → (𝑦, −𝑥)

Clockwise Rotation through 90°

𝑅(0, −90°): (𝑥, 𝑦) → (𝑦, −𝑥)

Clockwise Rotation through 180°

𝑅(0, −180°): (𝑥, 𝑦) → (−𝑥, −𝑦)

Clockwise Rotation through 270°

𝑅(0, −270°): (𝑥, 𝑦) → (−𝑦, −𝑥)

Step 3: Students will be given notes on describing a rotation.

In describing a rotation, we must state:

1. The center of rotation.

2. The angle of rotation, that is the angle through which all poinRts on the object turns. If an

object P is rotated about O to image P’ then the angle of rotation is POP′.

3. The direction of rotation, which is either clockwise or anti-clockwise. A positive angle is

considered as an anticlockwise turn while a negative angle is a clockwise turn.

Finding the centre of rotation and the angle of rotation

The centre of rotation and the angle of rotation can be found by a suitable construction. This
method involves finding the centre of rotation first and then measuring off the angle of rotation.

When the object under rotation is a plane figure, the centre of rotation lies on the
perpendicular bisector of the line segment joining a point on the object and the corresponding
point on the image. Two perpendicular bisectors are sufficient to find the centre of rotation.
To determine the centre, angle and direction of rotation given an object and its image.

1. Choose two suitable vertices of the object, eg. A and B

2. Identify the corresponding vertices of the image onto which the vertices of the objects

are mapped eg. A’ and B’.

3. Draw line segments to join each pair of the object and its corresponding image eg) A

to A’ and B to B’.

4. Construct the perpendicular bisector of each line segment to interest at a point, eg) the

perpendicular bisectors of AA’ and BB’. the single point where the perpendicular

bisector intersects is the centre of rotation X. The coordinates of the centre of rotation

can then be read off from the axes.

5. Line segments are then drawn from the object vertex and its corresponding image

vertex to the centre of rotation to complete the angle.

Note: The angle formed is the angle of rotation, which can then be measured by the
protractor.

Properties of Rotation

✓ Each point on the object turns in the same direction and through the same angle about

the center of rotation.

✓ Image and object are congruent and sense is preserved, but orientation changes. In

fact, we tend to visually identify rotation by this property.

✓ An anticlockwise rotation is a positive turn while a clockwise rotation is a negative

 turn.

✓ The perpendicular bisectors of any two straight lines, passing through a point and its

image, meet at the center of rotation.

Enlargement

An enlargement is a transformation in which an object will generally undergo a change in

size, but not shape. The change in size is determined by the scale factor of the enlargement.

Under enlargement, the image is similar to the original figure. We may recall that similar
figures have the same shape and their corresponding angles are equal. Their corresponding
sides are in a fixed ratio and this ratio is actually a measure of the scale factor of the
enlargement.

Types of Enlargement

There are four types of enlargement:

1. Enlargement with scale factor greater than 1: (𝑘 > 1)
2. Enlargement with scale factor less than -1: (𝑘 < −1)
3. Enlargement with scale factor between 0 and 1: (0 < 𝑘 < 1)
4. Enlargement with scale factor between -1 and 0: (−1 < 𝐾 < 0)
Enlargement with a scale factor greater than 1: (𝒌 > 𝟏)

1. The image is larger than object. That is, the image is magnified.
2. Both the object and the image are on the same side of the centre of enlargement.

Enlargement with scale factor less than -1: (𝒌 < −𝟏)

1. The image is larger than the object . that is, the image is magnified.
2. The object and the image are on opposite sides of the centre of enlargement. That is,
the image is rotated through 180° about the centre of enlargement, we say that the
image is inverted.
Enlargement with scale factor between 0 and 1: (𝟎 < 𝒌 < 𝟏)
1. The image is smaller than the object. That is, the image is reduced.
2. Both the object and the image are on the same side of the centre of enlargement.
Enlargement with scale factor between -1 and 0: (−𝟏 < 𝑲 < 𝟎)
1. The image is smaller than the object.
 2. The object and the image are on opposite sides of the centre of enlargement. That is,
the image is rotated through 180° about the centre of enlargement, we say that the
image is inverted.

Enlargement on the Cartesian Plane

To perform an enlargement, we need to know:
✓ the position of the center
✓ the scale factor and the position of the object.
When the origin is the centre of enlargement
If an object (or preimage) 𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) is magnified or reduced by a scale factor of k and the
origin is the centre of enlargement, then it is mapped onto 𝑃’(𝑘𝑥, 𝑘𝑦).
Thus,
𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) → 𝑃’(𝑘𝑥, 𝑘𝑦)
If 𝐾 < −1, then the image is magnified, inverted and on the opposite side of the centre of
enlargement.

If 0 < 𝑘 < 1, then the image is reduced and it is on the same side of the object.

If −1 < 𝑘 < 0, then the image is reduced, inverted and on the opposite side of the centre of
enlargement.