Combining Reflections

Combining Reflections

Introduction

A sequence of reflections can move a figure across different axes. Applying each reflection in order helps us track how the coordinates change. In some sequences, several reflections can have the same overall effect as a single refl...

Have you ever thought about what happens when a triangle is reflected across the y-axis, then the x-axis, and then the y-axis again?

Let's start with triangle PQR with vertices (2, 1), (5, 1), and (3, 4).

First, let's reflect the triangle across the y-axis. To do that, change the signs of the x-coordinates while keeping the y-coordi...