Rotational Symmetry

Key concept

Rotational symmetry means a shape looks the same after a turn of less than 360° about its centre. The order of rotational symmetry counts how many times it matches in one full turn. For example, a square has order 4.

Rotational Symmetry - introduction visual

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Rotational Symmetry poster

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Flashcards

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Diagram showing a square with an order of rotation symmetry 4, and explanations of the centre of rotation, angle of rotation, and order of symmetry.Rotational symmetry of rectangle, equilateral triangle, and regular hexagon, showing their centre of rotation, angle of rotation, order of symmetry.Illustrating three traffic signs to check for whether they have rotational symmetry, and showing different angles of rotation and orders of symmetry.

What is Rotational Symmetry?

  • A shape has rotational symmetry if it looks the same after a turn of less than .
  • The shape is rotated about its centre of rotation.

Order and Angle of Rotation

  • The order of symmetry is the number of times a shape matches itself in a full turn.
  • The angle of rotation = ÷ order (e.g. a rectangle has order 2, so the angle is ).

How to Check for Rotational Symmetry?

  • Rotate the shape around its centre and see if it matches its starting position.
  • If it matches before , the shape has rotational symmetry.

Practice Questions

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True or False: A non-square rectangle has an angle of rotation of and an order of rotational symmetry of 2.

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Interactive Activity

Explore rotational symmetry by spinning shapes

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Frequently asked questions

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A shape has rotational symmetry if it can be turned by less than 360° and still look the same. It turns about its centre of rotation. The order of symmetry is how many times it matches in a full turn, and the angle of rotation is the smallest turn that makes it match: a square matches every 90°, so its order is 4.

The order of rotational symmetry is the number of times a shape fits onto itself during one full 360° turn. There is a simple formula linking it to the angle of rotation: angle = 360° ÷ order, and order = 360° ÷ angle. A regular hexagon has order 6, so its angle of rotation is 360° ÷ 6 = 60°.

Turn the shape about its centre and check whether it matches its starting position before you reach a full turn. If it matches only after 360°, it has no rotational symmetry: a parking sign is one example. A no-entry sign matches after 180°, so it has order 2, and a radioactive symbol matches three times, so it has order 3.

Order 2 means the shape fits onto itself twice in a full turn: once after a half turn of 180° and again at 360°. A rectangle is the classic example, since it looks identical after a 180° rotation. Using the formula, 360° ÷ 2 gives its angle of rotation, 180°. A no-entry sign has order 2 too.

Order 4 means the shape fits onto itself four times in a full turn, so its angle of rotation is 360° ÷ 4 = 90°. A square is the everyday example: turn it a quarter turn and it looks exactly the same, and it matches at 90°, 180°, 270° and 360°.

A regular hexagon has an order of rotational symmetry of 6: it fits onto itself six times during one full turn. Using the formula, 360° ÷ 6 gives an angle of rotation of 60°, the smallest turn that maps the hexagon onto itself. An equilateral triangle, by the same reasoning, has order 3 and an angle of 120°.

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