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Let’s Learn!

How can you tell if a shape has line symmetry?

Goal:

Goal:

shape octopus

Think About It!

Goal: Understand why shapes have line symmetry.

Logan’s mom really confused him when she said his origami butterfly had symmetry like a real butterfly.

Symmetry is having one side that is exactly the same as the other side. It’s like looking in a mirror. A line of symmetry is a line that divides a symmetrical shape in half. If you fold a shape over its line of symmetry, its two parts match exactly.

Look at the origami butterfly Logan made and the picture of the real butterfly. If we draw a line of symmetry down the middle of the butterflies’ bodies, the two parts of the butterflies are identical!

An origami butterfly and a real butterfly side by side. They both have a vertical symmetrical line in the center from top to bottom.

Let’s look at other shapes that have line symmetry. Click through the tabs below to learn more!

Triangles

Triangles can have lines of symmetry that go from an angle to the opposite side. Click on each type of triangle below to see if it has line symmetry.

Equilateral Triangle An equalaterl triangle. All the angles are the same and all the sides are the same.

Equilateral Triangle An equalaterl triangle. It has 3 symmetrical lines that start from an angle and go to the opposite side. 3 lines of symmetry

Isosceles Triangle An Isosceles triangle

Isosceles Triangle An Isosceles triangle. It has 1 line of symmetry from top to bottom. 1 line of symmetry

Scalene Triangle An scalene triangle

Scalene Triangle A scalene triangle with 0 lines of symmetry 0 line of symmetry

Quadrilaterals

Quadrilaterals can have lines of symmetry that go through their sides and through their angles. Click on each type of quadrilateral below to see if it has line symmetry.

Parallelogram A parallelogram

A parallelogram 0 lines of symmetry

Trapezoid
A Trapezoid. A second Trapezoid

A Trapezoid with 1 line of symmetry vertically in the center from top to bottom. Some have 1 line of symmetry
A second Trapezoid with no lines of symmetry.
Others have 0 lines of symmetry

Rhombus
A rhombus

Rhombus
A rhombus with two lines of symmetry. The first is vertical from top to bottom through the center of the rhombus. The second is horizontal from left to right through the center of the rhombus. 2 lines of symmetry

Rectangle
A Rectangle

Rectangle
A rectangle with two lines of symmetry. The first is vertical from top to bottom through the center of the rectangle. The second is horizontal from left to right through the center of the rectangle. 2 lines of symmetry

Square
A Square

Square
A square with 4 lines of symmetry. The first line is from top to bottom vertically and through the center of the square. The second is from the first angle across the square. The third is horizontally from left to right through the center of the square. The 4 is from the second angle across through the center of the square. 4 lines of symmetry

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Polygons

Regular polygons (polygons with equal sides and equal angles) have line symmetry. Click on each type of regular polygon below to see how many lines of symmetry it has.

Regular Pentagon A regular pentagon

A regular pentagon A polygon, the pentagon has a line of symmetry at each angle and at the center of each line. 5 lines of symmetry

Regular Hexagon A hexagon.

A regular hexagon A hexagon. The hexagon has a line of symmetry at each angle and at the center of each line 6 lines of symmetry

Regular Octagon An octagon

Regular octagon An octagon. An octagonhas has a line of symmetry at each angle and at the center of each line 8 lines of symmetry

Back to Tabs

Circles

The number of symmetry lines a circle has might surprise you. Click on the circle below to see how many lines of symmetry it has.

Circles
A circle.

Circles A circle with Infinite lines of symmetry any point along the circle will be symmetrical across through the center. Infinite lines of symmetry

Lines of symmetry are all around you! You just have to look to see if both sides are equal and the same!