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Rotational Symmetry
See It in Action
Two examples of the idea done right—and one common look-alike that is not right.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
NON-EXAMPLE
Definition
A figure has rotational symmetry if it can be rotated (less than 360°) around a central point and still look exactly the same as it did before the rotation.
Key Points:
The figure matches itself at least once during a full 360° turn.
The smallest angle at which it matches itself is called the angle of rotation.
A figure can have more than one angle of rotational symmetry.
The center of rotation is usually the center of the figure.
Example:
A regular hexagon has rotational symmetry because it looks the same after rotations of 60°, 120°, 180°, 240°, and 300°.
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