Rotational Symmetry
Rotate this shape by . What do you notice?
Click for
animation
You get the same shape!
If you rotate a shape and see the same thing before you spin the shape
a full way round, it is said to have rotational symmetry.
Identifying the order of rotational symmetry
We initially spin the
shape once to see
the same shape.
(Ignoring the circle!)
Spinning a second We say the order of rotational symmetry is 2,
time gets us back to because we span it 2 times before we got back
where we started. to where we started.
! The order of rotational symmetry of a shape is the number of times
we can spin the shape to see the same, until we’ve done a full spin.
Further Examples
Order of rotational symmetry: Order of rotational symmetry:
5? 1?
We will only see the same
shape after doing a full spin.
Tip: If a shape has no rotational
symmetry, then the order of rotational
symmetry is 1 (and not 0).
Mini Exercise
Identify the order of rotational symmetry and the number of lines of
symmetry for each shape.
Order of rotational Number of lines of
symmetry symmetry
2? 2?
2? 0?
1? 1?
4? 4?
Exercise
1
Here is a hexagon.
Write down the order of rotation
symmetry of the hexagon.
? Reveal
2
Exercise
2
Here is a shape. Write down the order
of rotational symmetry of this shape.
? Reveal
3
Exercise
3
What is the order of rotation
symmetry of this shape?
4
? Reveal
Exercise
4
Write down the order of rotation
symmetry of this regular octagon.
8
? Reveal
Exercise
5
Here are 5 shapes.
Two of these shapes have rotational
symmetry of order 2. Select the letters
of these two shapes.
? Reveal
B and C
Exercise
6
Here are five shapes.
Two of these shapes have rotational
symmetry of order 2
Write down the letter of each of
these two shapes.
B?and
Reveal D
Exercise
7
Here are four road signs.
Only one of these four road signs has
rotational symmetry. Select the letter
of this road sign.
A
? Reveal
Exercise
8
The diagrams show patterns made
from grey tiles and white tiles.
Write down the order of rotational
symmetry of pattern C.
? Reveal
2
Exercise
9
Here are five flags.
Which flag has rotational symmetry but not line symmetry?
? Reveal
B
Exercise
10
Here is a parallelogram.
Write T for True or F for False for each
of the statements below.
is parallel to . ?T
Angle = Angle . ?T
The parallelogram has F
2 lines of symmetry. ?
The parallelogram has T
rotational symmetry of ?
order 2.
Exercise
11
What is the smallest number of
additional squares which must be
shaded so that this figure has at least
one line of symmetry and rotational
symmetry of order 2?
? Reveal
Exercise
12
Each of the nine small squares in this grid
can be coloured completely black or
completely white.
What is the largest number of squares
that can be coloured black so that the
design created has rotational symmetry
of order 2, but no lines of symmetry?
? Reveal