Which type of transformation is a mirror image of the original image? Write translation, rotation, reflection, or dilation in the space provided.

The type of transformation that creates a mirror image of the original image is called reflection.

Explanation:

Reflection is a geometric transformation that produces a mirror image of a shape over a specified line, known as the line of reflection. In the context of the Cartesian coordinate system, if you reflect a point across the x-axis, for example, the y-coordinate of the point changes its sign, while the x-coordinate remains the same. This process effectively flips the image to the opposite side of the line of reflection, creating a mirrored counterpart. Other transformations like translation, rotation, and dilation modify position, orientation, or size without generating a mirror effect, making reflection the only transformation that achieves this specific result.