Lines of Symmetry vs. Rotational Symmetry: Grade 5 Concept Explained.

📚 What is Line Symmetry?

Line symmetry, also known as reflection symmetry, is when you can draw a line through a shape and both sides match exactly, like a mirror image. Imagine folding a paper along that line – the two halves should perfectly overlap!

• зеркало Definition: A shape has line symmetry if it can be folded along a line so that the two halves match exactly.
• ✂️ Line of Symmetry: The line you fold along is called the line of symmetry. Some shapes have many, some have only one, and some have none!
• 🖼️ Examples: Think of a butterfly (one line of symmetry), a square (four lines of symmetry), or a circle (infinite lines of symmetry).

🔄 What is Rotational Symmetry?

Rotational symmetry is when you can rotate a shape less than a full circle (360°) and it looks exactly the same as it did before you rotated it. Think about spinning a pinwheel!

• 💫 Definition: A shape has rotational symmetry if it can be rotated around a central point by less than a full turn and still look the same.
• 🧮 Order of Symmetry: The number of times a shape looks the same during a full rotation is called the order of symmetry.
• 🏵️ Examples: An equilateral triangle has rotational symmetry of order 3 (you can rotate it three times and it'll look the same), and a square has rotational symmetry of order 4.

🆚 Lines of Symmetry vs. Rotational Symmetry: Side-by-Side

🔑 Key Takeaways

• ✅ Line Symmetry: Focuses on a mirror image created by folding.
• ↩️ Rotational Symmetry: Focuses on a shape looking the same after rotation.
• 💡 Both: Both are types of symmetry, meaning a balanced and identical form.