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Degree of Rotation
Degree of Rotation
Rotation
Step 1: Imagine turning the figure counter-clockwise in place. Does the figure ever look the
same as it did originally before you finish a full rotation? If so, how many times does it look the
same before completing a full turn? It may help to make a model you can physically turn out of
paper and mark the top of the figure with a different color (to track where it is so you know
when a full turn is complete). Count the number of times the figure looks the same as it did
originally, including the time it finishes the turn.
Step 2: If, in step 1, you counted more than 1 time that the figure looked the same, the figure
has rotational symmetry. To find the angle of rotation, divide 360∘360∘ by the number you
found in step 1.
We will use these steps, definitions, and equations to identify rotational symmetry and angles
of rotation in the following two examples.
Step 1: Imagine turning the figure counter-clockwise in place. Does the figure ever look the
same as it did originally before you finish a full rotation? If so, how many times does it look the
same before completing a full turn? It may help to make a model you can physically turn out of
paper and mark the top of the figure with a different color (to track where it is so you know
when a full turn is complete). Count the number of times the figure looks the same as it did
originally, including the time it finishes the turn.
The figure does have rotational symmetry. As we rotate it counterclockwise, it looks just the
same.
We marked the top with a red x to show when it has finished rotating:
Original
First time it looks the same
Step 2: If, in step 1, you counted more than 1 time that the figure looked the same, the figure
has rotational symmetry. To find the angle of rotation, divide 360∘360∘ by the number you
found in step 1.
The angle of rotation is 360∘5=72∘360∘5=72∘.
Step 1: Imagine turning the figure counter-clockwise in place. Does the figure ever look the
same as it did originally before you finish a full rotation? If so, how many times does it look the
same before completing a full turn? It may help to make a model you can physically turn out of
paper and mark the top of the figure with a different color (to track where it is so you know
when a full turn is complete). Count the number of times the figure looks the same as it did
originally, including the time it finishes the turn.
The figure does have rotational symmetry. The figure looks exactly the same 4 times.
Step 2: If, in step 1, you counted more than 1 time that the figure looked the same, the figure
has rotational symmetry. To find the angle of rotation, divide 360∘360∘ by the number you
found in step 1.
The angle of rotation is 360∘4=90∘360∘4=90∘.