
#Reflect across y axis how to#
The last step is to divide this value by 2, giving us x = 4 as our axis of symmetry! Let's take a look at what this would look like if there were an actual line there:Īnd that's all there is to it! For further study with transformations of a functions with regards to trigonometric functions, see our lessons on transformations of trig graphs and how to find trigonometric functions by graphs. Now, by counting the distance between these two points, you should get the answer of 8 units. Let's pick the origin point for these functions, as it is the easiest point to deal with. Examine what happens to make the parent graphs reflect over the y-axis. You can describe the reflection in words. To reflect an equation over the y-axis, make the x values opposite outside of the symbol.

This means, all of the x-coordinates have been multiplied by -1. The best way to practice finding the axis of symmetry is to do an example problem:įind the axis of symmetry for the two functions show in the image below.Īgain, all we need to do to solve this problem is to pick the same point on both functions, count the distance between them, and divide by 2. The preimage has been reflected across he y-axis. This is because, by it's definition, an axis of symmetry is exactly in the middle of the function and its reflection. In this case, all we have to do is pick the same point on both the function and its reflection, count the distance between them, and divide that by 2. It can be the y-axis, or any vertical line with the equation x = constant, like x = 2, x = -16, etc.įinding the axis of symmetry, like plotting the reflections themselves, is also a simple process. The axis of symmetry is simply the vertical line that we are performing the reflection across. That means that the y-values would stay the. But before we go into how to solve this, it's important to know what we mean by "axis of symmetry". The y-axis is the vertical axis, so if we were to reflect a function over the y-axis, we would do a horizontal flip. In some cases, you will be asked to perform vertical reflections across an axis of symmetry that isn't the y-axis. Step 3: Divide these points by (-1) and plot the new pointsįor a visual tool to help you with your practice, and to check your answers, check out this fantastic link here. Step 2: Identify easy-to-determine points Step 1: Know that we're reflecting across the y-axis Below are several images to help you visualize how to solve this problem. Don't pick points where you need to estimate values, as this makes the problem unnecessarily hard.

When we say "easy-to-determine points" what this refers to is just points for which you know the x and y values exactly. Remember, the only step we have to do before plotting the f(-x) reflection is simply divide the x-coordinates of easy-to-determine points on our graph above by (-1). Given the graph of y = f ( x ) y=f(x) y = f ( x ) as shown, sketch y = f ( − x ) y = f(-x) y = f ( − x ). Add a comment 1 Looking at your diagram, the angles youve marked are the same - youve simply changed the starting point for them. The best way to practice drawing reflections over y axis is to do an example problem: In order to do this, the process is extremely simple: For any function, no matter how complicated it is, simply pick out easy-to-determine coordinates, divide the x-coordinate by (-1), and then re-plot those coordinates. Graph y = f ( − x ) y = f(-x) y = f ( − x ).In a potential test question, this can be phrased in many different ways, so make sure you recognize the following terms as just another way of saying "perform a reflection across the y-axis":

One of the most basic transformations you can make with simple functions is to reflect it across the y-axis or another vertical axis. Some simple reflections can be performed easily in the coordinate plane using the general rules below.Before we get into reflections across the y axis, make sure you've refreshed your memory on how to do simple vertical translation and horizontal translation. The fixed line is called the line of reflection. When reflecting a figure in a line or in a point, the image is congruent to the preimage.Ī reflection maps every point of a figure to an image across a fixed line. Figures may be reflected in a point, a line, or a plane.
