What is the primary outcome of performing a translation on a figure?

When a translation is performed on a figure, the primary outcome is that the figure shifts location without altering its size or shape. A translation involves moving every point of the figure the same distance in a specific direction. This maintains the properties of the figure, such as angles and distances, making it congruent to its original position.

For example, if you take a triangle and translate it 5 units to the right, the new triangle remains identical to the original in terms of size, shape, and all interior angles; it has simply moved to a new position on the coordinate plane. This characteristic of translations distinguishes them from other transformations, which may affect the figure's orientation or dimensions.