Position and direction
Translation
A translation slides a shape to a new position without turning it or changing its size. We describe it as a number of squares left/right and up/down.
Describing a translation
1. Pick one point (or corner) of the shape. 2. Count how many squares it moves left or right. 3. Count how many squares it moves up or down. 4. Check with another point — the whole shape moves the same way.
Worked examples
Describing a slide
- A point moves from (2, 3) to (5, 3).
- The x-coordinate goes up by 3; the y stays the same.
Answer: It has been translated 3 squares to the right.
Applying a translation
- Translate the point (3, 4) by 2 right and 1 up.
- Add 2 to x and 1 to y: (3 + 2, 4 + 1).
Answer: The point moves to (5, 5).
Where you see this in real life
- Sliding a piece across a board game.
- Making a repeating pattern by sliding a shape again and again.
- Moving an icon across a screen without rotating it.
Key words
- Translation
- Sliding a shape to a new position without turning or resizing it.
- Coordinates
- A pair of numbers (x, y) that give a position on a grid.