Confusing clockwise and anticlockwise
"The Direction Dilemma"
The Mistake in Action
Rotate shape A 90° clockwise about the origin.
Wrong: Rotates the shape anticlockwise
Why It Happens
Students mix up clockwise and anticlockwise, especially under exam pressure. Some also confuse which way is "positive" rotation.
The Fix
Clockwise: same direction as clock hands move ↻ Anticlockwise: opposite to clock hands ↺
Tip: Imagine the shape is on a clock face. Which way would the hour hand move?
On coordinate grids:
- 90° anticlockwise from positive x-axis goes to positive y-axis
- 90° clockwise from positive x-axis goes to negative y-axis
Using tracing paper helps! Put your pencil on the centre and rotate the paper.
Spot the Mistake
Can you identify where this student went wrong?
Rotate 90° clockwise about the origin
Rotates anticlockwise
Click on the line that contains the error.
Related Topics
Learn more about the underlying maths: