Kiertymissymmetrisiä

Kiertymissymmetrisiä, often translated as rotational symmetry, describes the property of an object that looks the same after a partial turn around its center. This means that if you rotate the object by a certain angle less than a full circle (360 degrees), it will appear unchanged.

The order of rotational symmetry is the number of times an object looks the same in a full 360-degree rotation. An object with rotational symmetry of order one looks the same only after a full 360-degree turn, which is true for all objects and therefore not typically considered true rotational symmetry. An object with rotational symmetry of order two will look the same after a 180-degree turn. For example, a rectangle has rotational symmetry of order two. An equilateral triangle has rotational symmetry of order three, meaning it looks the same after 120-degree, 240-degree, and 360-degree turns. A square has rotational symmetry of order four, looking identical after 90-degree, 180-degree, 270-degree, and 360-degree rotations.

The angle of rotation for an object with rotational symmetry of order n is calculated by dividing 360 degrees by n. For instance, for an object with rotational symmetry of order three, the smallest angle of rotation is 360/3 = 120 degrees.

Rotational symmetry is a fundamental concept found in geometry, art, nature, and various scientific disciplines. Many natural forms, such as snowflakes, starfish, and certain flower petals, exhibit rotational symmetry. In art and design, it is often used to create visually appealing and balanced compositions.