Symmetry

Symmetry is everywhere, from the wings of a butterfly to the face of a clock, and mathematics gives it a precise meaning. A shape has symmetry when part of it matches another part exactly, either by folding it over a line or by turning it about a point. Spotting symmetry lets you understand a shape's structure at a glance.

In this lesson you will count lines of symmetry and find the order of rotational symmetry for two-dimensional shapes, then extend the idea to the symmetry properties of solids such as prisms, cylinders, pyramids and cones. Clear descriptions in words make every kind of symmetry easy to identify.