National University of Singapore

Department of Mathematics
GEK1505 Living with Mathematics

Semester 2, 2005-06 Tutorial 11

1. ABCD, DCEF , F EGH, HGIJ are squares.

B C E G I K

A D F H J L

(a) A flat square lamina occupies the region ABCD and is moved to
occupy the region DCEF such that the vertex of the lamina at A
is taken to C, vertex at B taken to E, vertex at C taken to F , and
vertex at D taken to D. Describe the rigid motion involved.
(b) The lamina is now moved to occupy the region F EGH such that the
vertex of the lamina at D is taken to E, vertex at C taken to G,
vertex at E taken to H, and vertex at F taken to F . Describe the
rigid motion that moves the lamina from ABCD to F EGH.
(c) Next, the lamina is moved to occupy the region HGIJ such that
the vertex of the lamina at F is taken to G, vertex at E taken to I,
vertex at G taken to J, and vertex at H taken to H. Describe the
rigid motion that moves the lamina from ABCD to the final position
HGIJ.
(d) Finally, the lamina is moved to occupy the region JIKL such that
the vertex of the lamina at H is taken to I, vertex at G taken to
K, vertex at I taken to L, and vertex at J taken to J. Describe the
rigid motion that moves the lamina from ABCD to the final position
JIKL.

2. Two vertical plane mirrors lie with their bases on a horizontal plane along
the line segments AB and AC respectively with AB perpendicular to AC.
A figure is placed on the horizontal plane in front of the mirrors as shown.
Draw the images that you would see in the two mirrors.
C
#
q

"!

A B
3. A person stands in a hall of mirrors with parallel and mutually perpen-
dicular walls of mirrors as show below. What images will he see around
him?


t
d


Hall of Mirrors

4. A billiard ball P is hit to bounce off the sides AB, BC of a billiard

table to hit another billiard ball Q directly (see diagram below). If A
is the origin of the coordinate axes formed by the sides AD, AB and
P = (10, 10), Q = (40, 30), find the path taken by the ball P .

B C
Q
t

P
t

A D

5. A unit-square lamina occupies the region ABCD, where A = (0, 0), B =

(1, 0), C = (1, 1), D = (0, 1), and is translated one unit in the direction of
the y-axis and then reflected in the line y = x. Draw the final position
of the lamina and indicate clearly the final position of the vertices of the
lamina. Find the glide reflection that will produce the same result.
6. Investigate what kind of rigid motion will be generated by the following
movements:

(a) a translation followed by a translation,

(b) a rotation followed by a rotation,
(c) a reflection followed by a reflection.

Hint. Experiment with triangles. Is (clockwise) orientation preserved? A

translation may be thought of as a rotation about a centre of rotation that
is infinitely far away.

2
7. Eight identical sticks form a figure of a fish swimming to the left.

@
@ @@
@
@

(a) Move two sticks to make the fish swim up (or down). Identify a rigid
motion that will move the fish from its original position to the new.
(b) Move three sticks to make the fish swim to the right. Identify a rigid
motion that will move the fish from its original position to the new.

8. Find the symmetries of each of the following letters.

A E H I M N S T U V W X Y Z
9. Find all the symmetries of the following figures.

'$ '$

'$
'$ '$
'$
&% &%

&%
&% &%
&%
(a) (b)

H
 HH @
@
H H
 HH HH @
HH HHH  @
H 
HH  @
@
H
(c) (d)