kimberly266
kimberly266 Jan 18, 2026 • 0 views

Translation Practice Problems: Plotting Points with (x+a, y+b) Rules

Hey everyone! 👋 I'm struggling with plotting points using translation rules like (x+a, y+b). Can anyone help me understand it better? 🤔
🧮 Mathematics

2 Answers

✅ Best Answer
User Avatar
susanstewart2001 Jan 7, 2026

📚 Topic Summary

In mathematics, a translation is a transformation that slides a figure or point from one location to another without changing its size, shape, or orientation. When plotting points using the rule $(x+a, y+b)$, 'a' represents the horizontal shift (left or right), and 'b' represents the vertical shift (up or down). For example, if we have the rule $(x+2, y-3)$, it means we shift each point 2 units to the right and 3 units down.

Understanding translations is crucial in geometry and helps visualize how objects move in space. By applying these rules, we can easily determine the new coordinates of any point after translation. This concept is fundamental for more advanced topics such as vector transformations and coordinate geometry.

🧠 Part A: Vocabulary

Match the terms with their correct definitions:

Terms Definitions
1. Translation A. A transformation that changes the size of a figure.
2. Coordinate B. A transformation that flips a figure over a line.
3. Transformation C. A location specified by an ordered pair $(x, y)$.
4. Dilation D. A transformation that slides a figure without changing its size or shape.
5. Reflection E. A general term for altering the position or form of a figure.

✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the following paragraph with the correct words:

A __________ is a transformation that moves every point of a figure the same distance in the same __________. The rule $(x+a, y+b)$ represents a translation where 'a' indicates the __________ shift and 'b' indicates the __________ shift.

🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking

Explain, in your own words, how the values of 'a' and 'b' in the translation rule $(x+a, y+b)$ affect the position of a point on a coordinate plane. Provide an example to illustrate your explanation.

✅ Best Answer
User Avatar
wood.kimberly56 Jan 7, 2026

📚 Topic Summary

In mathematics, a translation shifts every point of a figure or a space by the same distance in a given direction. When we're working with coordinate points, a translation rule (x+a, y+b) means we're adding 'a' to the x-coordinate and 'b' to the y-coordinate of each point. This moves the point 'a' units horizontally and 'b' units vertically. If 'a' is positive, the point moves to the right; if negative, to the left. Similarly, if 'b' is positive, the point moves up; if negative, down. Understanding this concept allows us to predict and perform transformations on shapes and graphs easily.

For example, if we have a point (2, 3) and we apply the translation rule (x+1, y-2), the new point would be (2+1, 3-2) which simplifies to (3, 1). This shows a shift of 1 unit to the right and 2 units down.

🧠 Part A: Vocabulary

Match the term with its definition:

Term Definition
1. Translation A. The original point before a transformation.
2. Pre-image B. A transformation that slides a figure without changing its size or orientation.
3. Image C. The coordinate that represents vertical position on a graph.
4. X-coordinate D. The new point after a transformation.
5. Y-coordinate E. The coordinate that represents horizontal position on a graph.

Answers: 1-B, 2-A, 3-D, 4-E, 5-C

✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks

A _________ shifts every point of a figure by the same distance in a given _________. The translation rule (x+a, y+b) means we add 'a' to the _________-coordinate and 'b' to the _________-coordinate. If 'a' is _________, the point moves to the right.

Answers: translation, direction, x, y, positive

🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking

Explain how the translation rules $(x+2, y-3)$ and $(x-3, y+2)$ affect a point differently and provide a real-world example where such translations might be useful.

Join the discussion

Please log in to post your answer.

Log In

Earn 2 Points for answering. If your answer is selected as the best, you'll get +20 Points! 🚀