Using Rotations to Create Tessellations

To create a tessellation using only rotations, you must first start with the tessellation of a regular polygon. Here we used tessellated squares.

Next, manipulate one side of one of the squares, and then manipulate the opposite of the same square.

Rotate one of the manipulated edges 90 degrees about one of the vertices. Do the same for the opposite edge, only rotate it 90 degrees about the vertex diagonal to the one you just used.

Now, choose one of the vertices of the new figure that is concurrent with a vertice of the square, and rotate the entire figure 90 degrees about that point. Repeat the process until the tessellation is complete.

Click HERE to see how Escher used rotations to create works of art.


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