What happens to the coordinates of a point (x, y) after a reflection over the x-axis?

When a point (x, y) is reflected over the x-axis, the transformation specifically affects the y-coordinate of the point. The x-coordinate remains unchanged because the reflection is occurring along the x-axis, which serves as the line of symmetry for this transformation.

In the case of reflection over the x-axis, the positive y-values become negative, and negative y-values become positive. Thus, a point located at (x, y) will change to (x, -y). This is because a reflection sends points directly across the axis to their corresponding position on the opposite side of the axis, flipping the y-coordinate but not the x-coordinate. Therefore, the coordinate (x, -y) correctly describes the new position of the original point after this reflection.