Chapter 1: Orienting Yourself: The Use of Coordinates

Exercise

Question

Question: 3 (iii)

5 / 25

Consider the points R (3, 0), A (0, -2), M (-5, -2) and P (-5, 2). If they are joined in the same order, predict:

(iii) Two points that are mirror images of each other in one axis. Which axis will this be?

Now plot the points and verify your predictions.

Answer

1
Check the coordinates of the four points to find the mirror points.Trick: Two points are mirror images of each other if they have the same x-coordinate and their y-coordinates are the same distance from the x-axis, or if they have the same y-coordinate and their x-coordinates are the same distance from the y-axis.
Answer: M (-5, -2) and P (-5, 2) are mirror images of each other in the x-axis.
Reason: They have the same x-coordinate, -5, and their y-coordinates, -2 and 2, are at equal distances from the x-axis. Therefore, M and P are mirror images of each other in the x-axis. The graph below verifies this prediction.
Coordinate graph showing points R, A, M, and P joined in order, with M and P as mirror images across the x-axis.
Graph verifying that M and P are mirror images across the x-axis.
Sponsored320 x 50