Have you ever noticed that you've got two of everything--two eyes, two arms, two legs, two kidneys, and so on?
A lot of animals, including humans, have a left side that pretty much looks just like the right side. This phenomenon illustrates body symmetry, which is defined as a type of body organization in which the body is made of two equal halves or a few equal parts.
If symmetry has to do with equal parts of the whole, its opposite, asymmetry, has to do with unequal parts of the whole or an irregularity in shape.
Objects that are symmetrical can be divided in half or into many different pieces and the pieces will either be mirror images of each other or each piece will look exactly the same as all the other pieces. Asymmetrical objects may be lopsided and won't have any type of obvious organization or equalities. Asymmetrical objects have a random arrangement of their parts, symmetrical objects have a very orderly arrangement of parts.
Look at the two photos above. Which photo illustrates symmetry and which one illustrates asymmetry? Think about your answer, then click the Show Me button to see if you are correct.
The pile of laundry is asymmetrical; it is irregularly shaped with a random arrangement of parts. The sofa is symmetrical, in that there is a line that can be drawn down center, creating two pieces that are mirror images of each other.
Use your knowledge of symmetry and asymmetry to classify these objects as being symmetrical or asymmetrical in shape. Drag the vocabulary word to the picture that best illustrates or describes it in the activity below.
symmetrical
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asymmetrical.
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symmetrical
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asymmetrical
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symmetrical
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asymmetrical
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