Week 6

Topic: Rotation
Key vocabulary: quadrilateral, square, rectangle,
parallelogram, trapezium, rhombus, kite, regular, irregular,
line of symmetry rotational symmetry, polygon

Learning objectives:
 Understand that the centre of rotation, direction of
rotation and angle are needed to identify and perform
rotations.
 Rotate 2D shapes given the centre of rotation, angle
and direction of rotation
 Determine the centre, direction and angle of rotated Answer
2D shapes. Step 1: Imagine a line segment AC rotated 90° anti-
clockwise, keeping the centre of rotation C fixed. The end
of this line is the new position of point A. A has rotated to
Keynotes on Rotation (1, 5).
A rotation is one of the four types of transformation.

A rotation has a turning effect on a shape. The result is

a congruent shape.

Rotation turns a shape around a fixed point called

the centre of rotation. This point can be inside the shape,
a vertex of the shape or outside the shape.

Rotations can be clockwise or anti-clockwise and a multiple

of 90° (90°, 180° or 270°) is used.
Step 2: Imagine line segment BC rotated 90° anti
To understand rotations, a good understanding of angles clockwise, keeping the centre of rotation C fixed. The end
and rotational symmetry can be helpful. of this line is the new position of point B. B has rotated to (5
, 5).
To fully describe a rotation, it is necessary to specify
the angle of rotation, the direction, and the point it has
been rotated about.

Example 1

For example, in the diagram below, triangle A'B'C' is a

rotation of triangle ABC, 90° anti-clockwise (or 270°
clockwise) about point P.

Step 3: With all three vertices now plotted the rotated

shape can be completed. The image is a rotation, 90° anti-
clockwise about vertex C.

Example 2
Triangle ABC is to be rotated 90° anti-clockwise about
vertex C. Since vertex C is the centre of rotation it will
remain unchanged.
Year 8 Mathematics Enote Week 1 – 3 Compiled by Ajayi S. A (April 2023) 1
Example 3 Example 5
The parallelogram ABCD is rotated 90 clockwise about point Shape D is a rotation of shape C about centre of origin
D. Which coordinate is point A rotated to? P, (3, 5). What angle of rotation takes shape C to shape
D?

Solution
Imagine line segment AD rotated 90° clockwise, keeping Solution
the centre of rotation D fixed. The end of this line is the new Imagine the line joining P to the vertex marked Z.
position of point A. A has rotated to (3, 4). After a 270° anti-clockwise rotation (or a 900 clockwise
rotation) this aligns with the corresponding vertex on
shape D. Therefore D, is a 270° anti-clockwise rotation
of shape C about centre of rotation, P.

Example 4:
Trapezium ABCD is rotated 270° clockwise about centre
of rotation, P (4, 3). What is the new co-ordinate of NB: If you place a set square between the points Z and Z',
vertex A? you will measure 900 clockwise.

Rotation about the origin (0, 0)

The table below summarizes the formulas for all
anticlockwise rotations about the origin (0, 0).

A 270° anti-clockwise rotation is a 900 clockwise rotation

Solution
Example 6
Imagine the line joining P to the vertex A. After a 270°
Shape ABCD is rotated 90° anti-clockwise with centre of
clockwise rotation about centre of rotation, P, the
rotation, the origin (0, 0). What co-ordinates is vertex B
corresponding end of the line is (1, 3).
rotated to?

Year 8 Mathematics Enote Week 1 – 3 Compiled by Ajayi S. A (April 2023) 2

Solution
For 90° anti-clockwise rotation with centre of rotation at
the origin (0, 0), the formula is:

It means that you swap the coordinates and make y

negative. Thus,

The coordinates of B before rotation = (6, 4)

The coordinates of B after rotation = (-4, 6)

NB: You will need to apply the same formula to vertices A,

C and D to capture the rotated shape, A'B'C'D'. Solution

Example 7
Shape F is a 90° clockwise rotation of Shape E. Which
co-ordinate is the correct centre of rotation?

A. (2, 3) B. (3, 4) C. (4, 3) D. (6, 3)

Note that:
 A 90º rotation clockwise is the same as a 270º rotation
anticlockwise and for a rotation of 180º the direction is
not needed.
 The image is congruent to the object after the rotation.

Example 8

The diagram shows triangle A drawn on a grid Revision Questions

.
1. The triangle with vertices X (-2, 4), Y (-2, 6) and Z (-1,
(a) Reflect triangle A in the line y = 2. Label the reflection B
5) is rotated by 1800 about the point (1, 0). Show, on
squared paper, triangle XYZ and its image after the
(b) Reflect triangle B in the line x = 1. Label the reflection C
rotation.
A rotation will map triangle C back onto triangle A. 2. The diagram shows a shape A and shape B drawn on
(c) Find the coordinates of the centre of this rotation a grid.

Year 8 Mathematics Enote Week 1 – 3 Compiled by Ajayi S. A (April 2023) 3

 6. The light shape is rotated to the dark shape. Describe
the rotation.

7. The light shape is rotated to the dark shape. Describe

the rotation.

Describe fully the single transformation that transforms

shape A to shape B.

3. Describe the transformation shown below.

8. Describe the transformation from triangle A to triangle

B.

4. The light shape is rotated to the dark shape. What is

the centre of rotation?

9. The light shape is rotated to the dark shape. Describe

the rotation.

5. Describe the transformation from the light shape to the

dark shape.

10. What is the image of the point (5, -6) after a rotation of
900 counterclockwise about the origin?

Year 8 Mathematics Enote Week 1 – 3 Compiled by Ajayi S. A (April 2023) 4