Transformation Unit, Lesson 7

 Check to see if you are symmetric.  Find a photograph of yourself where you are looking straight ahead.  Hold a mirror perpendicular to the photo at the line of symmetry for your face.  How do you look?

Cutting the photo on the approximate line of symmetry, and duplicating each side of the face, produced the pictures you see here. (The tilt of the head accentuated these images.) Doctors repair damaged human faces by reconstructing the symmetry plane of the former healthy face from the damaged asymmetrical patient's face.

 Nature displays line symmetry in some of its most beautiful work.  The balanced arrangement of symmetry creates pleasing and attractive forms.  The white line is the line of symmetry.

 Many flowers possess line symmetry.  The biologist's term for line symmetry is "bilateral symmetry."  The white line is the line of symmetry.

 This drawing has two lines of symmetry, as shown by the white lines.  Mosaics and art work often demonstrate the concept of reflections and line symmetry.

 This butterfly caterpillar displays line symmetry.  The pink line is the line of symmetry.

 Certain letters of the alphabet and words possess line symmetry (such as the samples in the photo).  Notice that some letters possess vertical line symmetry, some possess horizontal line symmetry, and some possess BOTH vertical and horizontal line symmetry.

 Certain geometric figures possess line symmetry.  The figures in the photo are only a sampling of the geometric figures which possess symmetry.

Order 4Order 2Order 3 Order 1 (no rotational symmetry) Signs may possess rotational symmetry.

Order 2Order 4Order 8 Order 1 (no rotational symmetry) Designs and patterns may possess rotational symmetry.

Order 12Order 5Order 7Order 5 Hubcaps may possess rotational symmetry (disregarding center logo).

H I N O S X Z  Letters may possess rotational symmetry.  The order may vary depending upon the style of the letter.  For example, the letter O could have order 2 if the O is elongated or order infinite if the O is circular.

 Grid patterns may possess rotational symmetry.  These each have a rotational symmetry of order 4.