Concept 4 of 9
Figure Rotation: Spin to Match
Today's big idea
A quarter turn clockwise carries the top round to the right, and a half turn to the bottom.
Follow one corner all the way round and the rest of the shape follows it.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
Turn a page with an arrow on it a quarter turn to the right, and the arrow now points somewhere new. Nothing about the arrow itself has changed. Only the direction it faces has.
💡 Here's the trick
Turning moves every part of a shape to a spot you can predict. A quarter turn clockwise sends the top to the right and the right to the bottom. The bottom goes to the left, and the left goes to the top. A half turn sends everything to the opposite side.
🪄 How to do it
- 1.Pick one feature you cannot lose sight of in the picture above, such as an arrow tip or a marked corner.
- 2.Move that one feature by the turn you have been given.
- 3.Choose the option where that feature has landed in the new spot.
✍️ Try it
An arrow points up. Where does it point after a quarter turn clockwise? Where does it point after a half turn?
A quarter turn clockwise sends the top across to the right, so it points right. A half turn sends the top all the way to the bottom, so it points down.
⚠️ Watch out
Check which way the turn goes before you move anything. A quarter turn anticlockwise sends the top to the left, which is the exact opposite of clockwise. Both answers will usually be sitting there in the options, waiting for you.
🌟 Why this matters
You do this every time you turn a jigsaw piece to see whether it fits. You do it again when you spin a map so the road ahead sits at the top, or rotate a photo on a phone.
Exam tip: Mark one corner with your fingertip and follow only that corner, because tracking the whole shape at once is where mistakes creep in.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“Arrow pointing UP. Rotate 90° clockwise. Where does it point?”
- 1
Rotation rule
90° CW: top → right.
- 2
Apply
Up arrow → right arrow.
- 3
Answer ✓
Right
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
The arrow points Right. Rotate it 180° clockwise, one quarter-turn at a time.
ROTATION · ROUND 1 OF 3
Pointing: Right
turned 0° of 180°
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
An arrow points LEFT. Where does it point after a quarter turn clockwise?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Figure Matrix
The same rule runs across every row (or column).