Which one of the options best describes the transformation of the 2-dimensional figure P to Q, and then to R, as shown?
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Question

Which one of the options best describes the transformation of the 2-dimensional figure P to Q, and then to R, as shown?

(The figure shows an asymmetric arrow-like shape. P is the original. Q is obtained from P, then R is obtained from Q.)

A. Option_A: A clockwise rotation by 90 degrees about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the figure; A reflection along a horizontal line
B. Option_B: A counter clockwise rotation by 90 degrees about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the figure; A reflection along a horizontal line
C. Option_C: A clockwise rotation by 90 degrees about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the figure; A reflection along a vertical line
D. Option_D: A counter clockwise rotation by 90 degrees about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the figure; A reflection along a vertical line

Accepted Answer

Option A — the figure undergoes a clockwise rotation of 90 degrees about the axis perpendicular to the plane (P to Q), followed by a reflection along a horizontal line (Q to R). The problem shows a 2-dimensional figure that undergoes two successive transformations. The first transformation takes figure P to figure Q, and the second takes Q to R. By examining the orientation and facing direction of the asymmetric figure at each stage, we can determine whether a rotation was clockwise or counter-clockwise, and whether a reflection was along a horizontal or vertical axis. An asymmetric shape makes it unambiguous which operation was applied at each step.