Complete the equations identifying both lines of reflection that will flip the given figure onto itself.

The lines of reflection are x=____ and y=_____
The coordinates of the rectangle are A(-4,3), B(5,3) C, (5,-2) D, (-4,-2)

1 answer

To find the lines of reflection that will flip the rectangle onto itself, we need to examine the coordinates of the points.

The rectangle has the following vertices:

  • A(-4, 3)
  • B(5, 3)
  • C(5, -2)
  • D(-4, -2)

1. Line of reflection for symmetry across the vertical axis (x-axis):

The x-coordinates of points A and D are both -4, and the x-coordinates of points B and C are both 5. The midpoints between these paired points can help us find a vertical line of reflection.

The midpoint of line segment AB is:

  • Midpoint = ((-4 + 5)/2, (3 + 3)/2) = (0.5, 3)

The midpoint of line segment CD is:

  • Midpoint = ((-4 + 5)/2, (-2 + -2)/2) = (0.5, -2)

The x-coordinate halfway between -4 and 5 is: \[ \text{Midpoint in the x-direction} = \frac{-4 + 5}{2} = \frac{1}{2} = 0.5 \]

2. Line of reflection for symmetry across the horizontal axis (y-axis):

Looking at the y-coordinates, we can see that:

  • Points A and B have the y-coordinate of 3.
  • Points C and D have the y-coordinate of -2. The midpoint for the vertical lines can be calculated as: \[ \text{Midpoint in the y-direction} = \frac{3 + (-2)}{2} = \frac{1}{2} = 0.5 \]

Thus, based on analysis:

  1. The vertical line of reflection: \( x = 0.5 \)
  2. The horizontal line of reflection: \( y = 0.5 \)

To summarize:

  • The lines of reflection are:
    • x = 0.5
    • y = 0.5

Hence, the final answers are:

  • The lines of reflection are \( x=0.5 \) and \( y=0.5 \).