NRICH: Translating Lines
Investigate what happens to the equation of different lines when you translate them. Try to predict what will happen. Explain your findings.
Move the red dots to set the position of the red line. Then move the blue dot to translate the blue line up and down.
Investigate what happens to the equations of different lines when you translate them up or down.
Try to predict what will happen. Explain your findings.
Now investigate what happens to the equations of different lines when you translate them left or right.
Try to predict what will happen. Explain your findings.
Below are the equations of ten lines, and some translations. Each translation links a pair of parallel lines – can you match them up?
| y=2x−5 | y=−2x+6 | Right 4 |
| y=13x+24 | y=2x+12 | Right 5, Up 5 |
| y=−13x−11 | y=13x+21 | Left 1, Up 2 |
| y=−2x−9 | y=2x−9 | Left 6, Down 5 |
| y=2x+4 | y=−13x−12 | Left 3 |
Can you find other combinations of vertical and horizontal translations that link each pair of parallel lines?
Age 11 to 14
NRICH provides thousands of free online mathematics resources for ages 3 to 18, covering all stages of early years, primary and secondary school education – completely free and available to all.
Do you enjoy thought-provoking questions? If so, this is the place for you.
I took the graph y=4x+7 and performed four transformations. Can you find the order in which I could have carried out the transformations?
What are you looking for?
Organization
Website URL
Type of Resource
Online Interactive Activity
Assigned Categories
Resource k12
Investigate what happens to the equation of different lines when you translate them. Try to predict what will happen. Explain your findings.
Move the red dots to set the position of the red line. Then move the blue dot to translate the blue line up and down.
Investigate what happens to the equations of different lines when you translate them up or down.
Try to predict what will happen. Explain your findings.
Now investigate what happens to the equations of different lines when you translate them left or right.
Try to predict what will happen. Explain your findings.
Below are the equations of ten lines, and some translations. Each translation links a pair of parallel lines – can you match them up?
| y=2x−5 | y=−2x+6 | Right 4 |
| y=13x+24 | y=2x+12 | Right 5, Up 5 |
| y=−13x−11 | y=13x+21 | Left 1, Up 2 |
| y=−2x−9 | y=2x−9 | Left 6, Down 5 |
| y=2x+4 | y=−13x−12 | Left 3 |
Can you find other combinations of vertical and horizontal translations that link each pair of parallel lines?
Age 11 to 14
NRICH provides thousands of free online mathematics resources for ages 3 to 18, covering all stages of early years, primary and secondary school education – completely free and available to all.
Do you enjoy thought-provoking questions? If so, this is the place for you.
I took the graph y=4x+7 and performed four transformations. Can you find the order in which I could have carried out the transformations?
What are you looking for?
Organization
Website URL
Type of Resource
Online Interactive Activity
