Everything you need to know about Translation in Math

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What are the Translation Rules? Here’s everything you need to know.

Translations in Math involves sliding figures on a coordinate grid. Translation in Math takes place when a figure slides up/down or left/right. You can Translate in Math by changing the x and y coordinates. If you add to the y-coordinate, the figure will go up. If you subtract from the y-coordinate, the figure will go down. If you add to the x-coordinate, the figure will move right. If you subtract from the x-coordinate, the figure will move left. The last step for Translations in Math is to write the coordinates of the new location of the figure. If you are looking for the definition of Translation in Math keep scrolling down! Be sure to check out our translations maths worksheets on the left if you want more practice on Translation example problems or finding the definition for Translation in Math.

Common Core Standard: 8.G.4

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Read the short Translation in Math Definition

Translation in Math is when you slide a figure on the Cartesian grid. A Translation in Math can slide a figure left/right or up/down. Translations occur when you add or subtract from either the x or y coordinates. The x coordinate controls if the figures move left or right. The y coordinate controls if the figure moves up or down. Follow these rules and you will know the translation math definition in no time.

5 Short Steps to complete any Translation Transformation Example Problem

A translation math will slide a shape on the coordinate grid.
In order to slide a shape, you subtract or add to the coordinates of the figure.
Adding to the x value moves the figure right. Subtracting from the x value moves the figure left.
Adding to the y value moves the figure up. Subtracting from the y value moves the figure down.
Always redraw your figure on the coordinate grid when translating in math.

What is a Translation in Math? Try these practice problems.

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Watch the free Translation in Math video on YouTube here: Translation in Math

Video Transcript:

This video is about translations in math. You can get the worksheet we use in this video for free by clicking on the link in the description below. This video will help you answer the question what is translation in math?

Translation in math refers to when you take a shape or a point on the coordinate grid and you slide it on the coordinate grid. When translating in math your X and your Y coordinates control different ways to translate or slide. The X will control if the figure goes left or right and then the Y will control if it goes down or up. For the figure to go left that means you’re going to subtract from the x coordinate, if it was going to go right you have to add to the x coordinate. For it to go down you’re going to subtract from the Y and then if it’s going to go up you will add to the Y.

If you are going to slide this shape, you can slide it right if you add to the X, you’ll slide it left if you subtract from the X, it’ll slide up if you add to the Y, and then it will slide down if you subtract from the Y. Most of the time it’ll be a combination of the change in the x and the y so you’ll go right and then up or left and then up or left and down. It just all depends on the problem.

The first problem on our translations in math worksheet says to translate figure ABCD 7 units right and 2 units up. We look at our figure ABCD and we know we have to translate seven units to the right and two units up. In order to do this we’re going to label each vertice and we’re going to count seven to the right and two up. Here we are at B, we’ll count one two three four five six seven and then up two and we’re going to label this B Prime. And then we do the same thing for each coordinate. A up to this will be a prime and C goes seven to the right and then up to and then d, 7 to the right and then up to right there, D prime. Then we can connect our vertices and this will be our new shape.

Number two says translate figure ABCD X minus 5 and Y minus 10. We know that X controls if it’s going to go left or right and we know that Y controls if it goes up or down. If it’s X minus 5 that means we know it’s going to go left because anytime you subtract from the X it’s going to move left and because we’re subtracting 5 it’s going to go left 5. And then Y minus 10 that is also subtracting from Y so that means it’s going to go down 10 in the Y value.

Let’s go ahead and plot our vertices in red. We know it goes left 5 we’ll count 1 2 3 4 5 and then down 10 8 9 10. Now I’m going to label this a prime, and then we do that for each vertice. Once our new vertices are plotted we will connect the vertices to draw our new figure. And this will be the new figure after the translation math.