Compound transformations

  • Transforming the Letters
    problem

    Transforming the Letters

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star
    What happens to these capital letters when they are rotated through one half turn, or flipped sideways and from top to bottom?
  • A square made of coloured triangles, squares and parallelograms.
    problem

    Square Tangram

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    This was a problem for our birthday website. Can you use four of these pieces to form a square? How about making a square with all five pieces?

  • Decoding Transformations
    problem

    Decoding Transformations

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star

    See the effects of some combined transformations on a shape. Can you describe what the individual transformations do?

  • Triangular Tantaliser
    problem

    Triangular Tantaliser

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    Draw all the possible distinct triangles on a 4 × 4 dotty grid. Convince me that you have all possible triangles.

  • Flight of the Flibbins
    problem

    Flight of the Flibbins

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    Blue Flibbins are so jealous of their red partners that they will not leave them on their own with any other bue Flibbin. What is the quickest way of getting the five pairs of Flibbins safely to the new planet?

  • Making Rectangles, Making Squares
    problem

    Making Rectangles, Making Squares

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    How many differently shaped rectangles can you build using these equilateral and isosceles triangles? Can you make a square?
  • Plaid patterned bow tie.
    problem

    Bow Tie

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    Show how this pentagonal tile can be used to tile the plane and describe the transformations which map this pentagon to its images in the tiling.

  • Combining Transformations
    problem

    Combining Transformations

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    Does changing the order of transformations always/sometimes/never produce the same transformation?

  • Friezes using Logo
    problem

    Friezes Using Logo

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star filled star

    Experimenting with variables and friezes.

  • Simplifying Transformations
    problem

    Simplifying Transformations

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star filled star

    How many different transformations can you find made up from combinations of R, S and their inverses? Can you be sure that you have found them all?