NYS COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM Lesson 14 M1
GEOMETRY
Lesson 14: Reflections
Classwork
Exploratory Challenge
Think back to Lesson 12 where you were asked to describe to
your partner how to reflect a figure across a line. The
greatest challenge in providing the description was using
the precise vocabulary necessary for accurate results.
Let’s explore the language that will yield the results we
are looking for.
△ 𝐴𝐵𝐶 is reflected across ̅̅̅̅
𝐷𝐸 and maps onto △ 𝐴′𝐵′𝐶′.
Use your compass and straightedge to construct the
perpendicular bisector of each of the segments
connecting 𝐴 to 𝐴′, 𝐵 to 𝐵′, and 𝐶 to 𝐶′. What do you
notice about these perpendicular bisectors?
Label the point at which ̅̅̅̅̅
𝐴𝐴′ intersects ̅̅̅̅
𝐷𝐸 as point 𝑂.
What is true about 𝐴𝑂 and 𝐴′𝑂? How do you know this
is true?
Discussion
You just demonstrated that the line of reflection between a figure and its reflected image is also the perpendicular
bisector of the segments connecting corresponding points on the figures.
In the Exploratory Challenge, you were given both the pre-image, image, and the line of reflection. For your next
challenge, try finding the line of reflection provided a pre-image and image.
Lesson 14: Reflections
Date: 8/1/19 S.76
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NYS COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM Lesson 14 M1
GEOMETRY
Example 1
Construct the segment that represents the line of reflection for
quadrilateral 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷 and its image 𝐴′𝐵′𝐶′𝐷′.
What is true about each point on 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷 and its corresponding
point on 𝐴′𝐵′𝐶′𝐷′?
Notice one very important fact about reflections. Every point in the original figure is carried to a corresponding point on
the image by the same rule—a reflection across a specific line. This brings us to a critical definition:
Reflection: For a line 𝑙 in the plane, a reflection across 𝑙 is the transformation 𝑟𝑙 of the plane defined as follows:
1. For any point 𝑃 on the line 𝑙, 𝑟𝑙 (𝑃) = 𝑃, and
2. For any point 𝑃 not on 𝑙, 𝑟𝑙 (𝑃) is the point 𝑄 so that 𝑙 is the perpendicular bisector of the segment 𝑃𝑄.
If the line is specified using two points, as in ⃡𝐴𝐵 , then the reflection is often denoted by 𝑟̅̅̅̅
𝐴𝐵 . Just as we did in the last
lesson, let’s examine this definition more closely:
A transformation of the plane—the entire plane is transformed; what was once on one side of the line of
reflection is now on the opposite side;
𝑟𝑙 (𝑃) = 𝑃 means that the points on line𝑙 are left fixed— the only part of the entire plane that is left fixed is the
line of reflection itself;
𝑟𝑙 (𝑃) is the point 𝑄— the transformation 𝑟𝑙 maps the point 𝑃 to the point 𝑄;
So that 𝑙 is the perpendicular bisector of the segment 𝑃𝑄— to find 𝑄, first construct the perpendicular line 𝑚
to the line 𝑙 that passes through the point 𝑃. Label the intersection of 𝑙 andm as 𝑁. Then locate the point 𝑄
on 𝑚 on the other side of 𝑙 such that 𝑃𝑁 = 𝑁𝑄.
Lesson 14: Reflections
Date: 8/1/19 S.77
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NYS COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM Lesson 14 M1
GEOMETRY
Examples 2–3
Construct the line of reflection across which each image below was reflected.
2. 3.
You have shown that a line of reflection is the perpendicular bisector of segments connecting corresponding points on a
figure and its reflected image. You have also constructed a line of reflection between a figure and its reflected image.
Now we need to explore methods for constructing the reflected image itself. The first few steps are provided for you in
this next stage.
Example 4
The task at hand is to construct the reflection of △ 𝐴𝐵𝐶 over line 𝐷𝐸. Follow the steps below to get started, then
complete the construction on your own.
1. Construct circle 𝐴: center 𝐴, with radius such that the circle crosses ̅̅̅̅
𝐷𝐸 at two points (labeled 𝐹 and 𝐺).
2. Construct circle 𝐹: center 𝐹, radius 𝐹𝐴 and circle 𝐺: center 𝐺, radius 𝐺𝐴. Label the [unlabeled] point of
intersection between circles 𝐹 and 𝐺 as point 𝐴′. This is the reflection of vertex 𝐴 across ̅̅̅̅
𝐷𝐸 .
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for vertices 𝐵 and 𝐶 to locate 𝐵′ and 𝐶′.
4. Connect 𝐴′ , 𝐵′ , and 𝐶′ to construct the reflected triangle.
Lesson 14: Reflections
Date: 8/1/19 S.78
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NYS COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM Lesson 14 M1
GEOMETRY
Things to consider:
When you found the line of reflection earlier, you did this by constructing perpendicular bisectors of segments joining
two corresponding vertices. How does the reflection you constructed above relate to your earlier efforts at finding the
line of reflection itself? Why did the construction above work?
Example 5
Now try a slightly more complex figure. Reflect 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷 across line 𝐸𝐹.
Lesson 14: Reflections
Date: 8/1/19 S.79
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© 2014 Common Core, Inc. Some rights reserved. commoncore.org
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
NYS COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM Lesson 14 M1
GEOMETRY
Lesson Summary
A reflection carries segments onto segments of equal length.
A reflection carries angles onto angles of equal measure.
Problem Set
Construct the line of reflection for each pair of figures below.
1. 2.
3. 4. Reflect the given image across the line of reflection
provided.
5. Draw a triangle 𝐴𝐵𝐶. Draw a line 𝑙 through vertex 𝐶 so that it intersects the triangle at more than just the vertex.
Construct the reflection across 𝑙.
Lesson 14: Reflections
Date: 8/1/19 S.80
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© 2014 Common Core, Inc. Some rights reserved. commoncore.org
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
