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Which times on a digital clock have a line of symmetry? Which look the same upside-down? You might like to try this investigation and find out!
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What are the coordinates of this shape after it has been transformed in the ways described? Compare these with the original coordinates. What do you notice about the numbers?
Penta Play
A shape and space game for 2, 3 or 4 players. Be the last person to be able to place a pentomino piece on the playing board.
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Ruth has sent in some ideas for the first part of the question. She says you can put a mirror across the middle or diagonally from corner to corner to see the whole square. She sent these diagrams:
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Gemma from Greenleas Primary School managed
to find a few more ways of seeing the whole square, as well as some
other shapes:
Siobhan from Daubeny Middle School also sent
in a very nice solution. She says:
There are four positions where the mirror can be put and you
can still 'see' the whole square: vertically in the centre,
horizontally in the centre, and on the two diagonals. So the square
has four lines of symmetry. To reflect part of the square to make
another shape, half the number of the sides of the shape you want
to make would need to be reflected into the mirror. The shape you
make will have at least one line of symmetry. The diagrams shows
the positions of the mirror to make more shapes.
Thank you for writing to us Siobhan, Ruth and Gemma. Well done!
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NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.