Sakshi Mehta

XE
15

The universe is built on a plan of the profound symmetry

which is Somehow present in the inner structure of the intelle
-Paul Valery

WHAT DOES SYMMETRY

EVEN MEAN
Symmetrical - characterized by or exhibiting
symmetry; well-proportioned, as a body or whole;
regular in form or arrangement of corresponding
parts.
Symmetrical = Same on both sides
Symmetries preserve distances, angles, sizes, and
shapes

BASIC TYPES OF
SYMMETRY
Vertical
Line

Horizontal
Line

Line Symmetry: when one half of an image is

the
mirror image of the other half.

WHERE CAN WE FIND SYMMETRY?

Symmetry can be found in art, nature, sports, math, and even in

the mirror.

THE EUCLIDEAN PLANE

Types of symmetry that transform the plane the
object is on
Four main types of Euclidean Planes

Translation
Rotation
Reflection
Glide Reflection

Similar concepts can be found in 3-D or spatial

symmetries also.

TRANSLATION:

To translate an object means to move it

without rotating or reflecting it.

Every translation has a direction and a

distance.

 Example
If

of Translation:

a family of ducks all lined up in a row is

moved forward or back by one, two, or more
ducks they have translated on the plane. This
translation does not change the appearance of
the procession, it just moves it on the plane.

ROTATION:

To rotate an object means to turn it around.

Every rotation has a center and an angle.

Before
Rotation

[Angle
90]

After Rotation
Center

Rotational Symmetry:

The kaleidoscope image of a flower below as well as the

wheel are both examples of rotational symmetry. They
can rotate around the center point up to 360 degrees
and still look exactly the same.
What other items can you think of that have rotational
symmetry? You might be surprised how many there are.

The object does not have to rotate 360 degrees to be rotational

symmetry, as long as it has a center that it rotates around and an angle
or amount of rotation, it is considered rotational.

REFLECTION:
To reflect an object means to produce its mirror image.

Every reflection has a mirror line.

A reflection of a B" is a backwards B".

Mirror Line

 Reflection:
Most

common form of symmetry

Reflection symmetry is formed when any
image is reflected or a mirror of itself on
either side of the mirror line.

The Taj Mahal has

both horizontal and
vertical reflection
symmetry.

The Vitruvian Man by

Leonardo DaVinci has
vertical reflection
symmetry.

GLIDE REFLECTION:

A glide reflection combines a reflection with a

translation along the direction of the mirror line.

Glide reflections are the only type of symmetry

that
involve more than one step.
[Before Glide
Reflection]

Mirror Line

[After Glide
Reflection]

SYMMETRY IN 2D SHAPES:

In shapes such as the

triangle, square,
pentagon, etc. there
are approximately the
same number lines of
symmetry as there are
sides of the shape. To
test this cut out
shapes and fold them
to find how many lines
of symmetry there
really are.

Clip art and Animated Graphics.

http://www.adrianbruce.com/Symmetry/

Clip Art. Microsoft Office Clip Art Gallery

"Euclidean plane isometry." Wikipedia, The Free

Encyclopedia. 17 Mar 2008, 16:40 UTC. Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc. 12 May 2008 <
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Euclidean_plane
_isometry&oldid=198885950
>.