Transformations: Reflections
A reflection can be thought of as folding or "flipping"
an object over the line of reflection.
• The original object is called the pre-image, and the
reflection is called the image.
• The image is usually labeled using a prime symbol,
such as A'B'C'.
• An object and its reflection have the same shape and
size, but the figures face in opposite directions. The
objects appear as if they are mirror reflections, with
right and left reversed.
A reflection can be seen, for example, in water, a mirror, or in a shiny surface.
Reflections in the coordinate plane:
Reflect over the x-axis: When you reflect a point across the x-axis, the x-coordinate
remains the same, but the y-coordinate is transformed into its
opposite (its sign is changed).
If you forget the rules for reflections when graphing, simply
fold your paper along the x-axis (the line of reflection) to see
where the new figure will be located.
Or you can measure how far your points are away from the x-
axis to locate the new points, such as B is 4 vertical units above
the x-axis, so B' will be 4 vertical units below the x-axis.
The reflection of the point (x,y) across
the x-axis is the point (x,-y).
Transformational matrix = ( )
Reflect over the y-axis:
When you reflect a point across the y-axis, the y-coordinate
remains the same, but the x-coordinate is transformed into its
opposite (its sign is changed).
Notice that B is 5 horizontal units to the right of the y-axis,
and B' is 5 horizontal units to the left of the y-axis.
The reflection of the point (x,y) across
the y-axis is the point (-x,y).
Transformational matrix = ( )
Reflect over y = x and When you reflect a point across the line y = x, the x-coordinate
and y-coordinate change places. If you reflect over the line
y= -x: y = -x, the x-coordinate and y-coordinate change places and
are negated (the signs are changed).
The reflection of the point (x,y) across
the line y = x is the point (y, x).
Transformational matrix = ( )
The reflection of the point (x,y) across
the line y = -x is the point (-y, -x).
Transformational matrix = ( )
Reflect over the line:
Remember that each point of a reflected image is the same
distance from the line of reflection as the corresponding point
of the original figure. The line of reflection will lie directly in
the middle between the original figure and its image.
The reflection of the point (x,y) across
the line x = a is the point (
The reflection of the point (x,y) across
the line y = b is the point ( .
Notice that each point of the original figure
and its image are the same distance away
from the line of reflection. You may be able
to simply "count" these distances on the grid.
Triangle A'B'C' is the image of triangle ABC after a point
Reflect in origin (0,0): reflection in the origin.
Imagine a straight line connecting A to A' where the origin is
the midpoint of the segment.
When you reflect a point in the origin, both the x-coordinate
and the y-coordinate are negated (their signs are changed).
In a point reflection in the origin, the image
of the point (x,y) is the point (-x,-y).
Transformational matrix = ( )
