Rubi Benitez

11/30/17
Per.7

Writing Component

A transformation is a general term for 4 specific ways to control the shape of a point,
line, or shape. There are only 4 types of transformations and they are dilations, translations,
reflections, and rotations. Two main transformations that I find most challenging are reflections
and rotations. A reflection is a flip of a figure over a mirror line, which contains four coordinate
rules, the x-axis, the y-axis, y = x, and y = -x. A rotation is a transformation that turns a figure
around a fixed point and is mainly turned counter-clockwise (CCW), there is the 90 degrees
CCW rotation (-, +), 180 degrees CCW rotation (-,-), and 270 degrees CCW rotation. These two
transformations have many similarities and differences.

Reflections and rotations both don’t change size or shape, but both change the signs of
points and the x’s and y’s. For example, for reflection using a coordinate rule y = -x its points
can begin with (a, b) and change in to (-b,-a) in order for the reflection to happen. They both also
consider all quadrants being used and are specifically used with their rules in them. For example,
rotations have 90 degrees counter-clockwise rule which uses the second quadrant because of its
points, (x, y) => (-y, x) and reflections has the coordinate rule of x-axis which is, (x, y) => (x,-y)
and uses the first and fourth quadrant.

A reflection flips the object about a line of reflection, when rotation rotates a figure about
a fixed point. In other words, all reflections are reflected over lines like when you see yourself in
a mirror with a shirt with words on and the shirt looks very different because the words are
flipped around but your shape, size, and looks stay the same. For rotations, it all stays the same
except for the fact that the pre-image (original shape) is only turning counter-clockwise, just like
many clocks from the past and present, while size, shape, and looks still look the same. Also,
reflections and rotations have their own names of their rules. For reflections, their rules are used
by the coordinates like of the x-axis and y-axis. For rotations, their rules are used by degrees
since it is also counter-clockwise it is easier like 90 degrees and 270 degrees.

The most challenging and stressful transformation for me are reflections because the negatives of
the pre-image make me struggle a lot and also because you can easily get mixed up by
flipping/switching the x’s and y’s. Many of the times when I solve for new points, like A (2,-3)
to A’ and I’ve got to reflect over the x-axis, it gets confusing since the y is already a negative and
many times I would think the negatives would combine to still be a negative. When actually you
substitute the x with a -3 and multiply the “-” sign that was originally in the coordinate rule.
Getting mixed up occurs when most of the time I keep on staying with the x or y, or when I keep
the signs, or for solving too many points at once and rushing. In this project most of the work
had made me realize many confusing problems and many facts about negatives that had help me
understand it more and for being descriptive.