what is the least angle measure by which this figure can be rotated so that it maps onto itself?

what is the least angle measure by which this figure can be rotated so that it maps onto itself?

1 month ago 10
Nature

The least angle measure by which a figure can be rotated so that it maps onto itself depends on the figure's rotational symmetry, specifically the order of symmetry. For a regular polygon with nnn sides, this minimum angle is the measure of its exterior angle, calculated as:

Minimum angle=360∘n\text{Minimum angle}=\frac{360^\circ}{n}Minimum angle=n360∘​

For example:

  • A regular hexagon (6 sides) has a minimum rotation of 360∘/6=60∘360^\circ /6=60^\circ 360∘/6=60∘.
  • A regular pentagon (5 sides) has a minimum rotation of 360∘/5=72∘360^\circ /5=72^\circ 360∘/5=72∘.
  • A square (4 sides) has a minimum rotation of 360∘/4=90∘360^\circ /4=90^\circ 360∘/4=90∘

If the figure is not a regular polygon but has some symmetry, the least angle is the smallest rotation that maps the figure onto itself. For instance, some figures have an order 2 rotational symmetry, meaning the least angle is 180∘180^\circ 180∘

. In summary:

  • For regular polygons, use 360∘/n360^\circ /n360∘/n.
  • For other figures, identify the order of rotational symmetry; the least angle is 360∘360^\circ 360∘ divided by that order.
  • Common least angles are 60∘60^\circ 60∘ for hexagons, 72∘72^\circ 72∘ for pentagons, 90∘90^\circ 90∘ for squares, and 180∘180^\circ 180∘ for figures with order 2 symmetry.

Thus, without a specific figure given, the least angle measure is the smallest positive angle of rotation that maps the figure onto itself, often found by dividing 360° by the figure's symmetry order

Read Entire Article