What is the general rule for the coordinates of a point (x, y) after a reflection over the y-axis?

When reflecting a point (x, y) over the y-axis, the x-coordinate changes sign while the y-coordinate remains the same. This transformation effectively flips the point across the y-axis, which is the vertical line where x equals zero.

For example, if you have a point at (2, 3), reflecting it over the y-axis moves it to (-2, 3). The y-value does not change because the reflection occurs horizontally. Thus, the general rule for the coordinates after such a reflection is to convert (x, y) to (-x, y).

This understanding of transformations helps in visualizing how points move in the coordinate plane under various transformations, making it crucial to grasp the concept of reflections specifically over axes.