How does a rotation affect the orientation of a shape in a plane?

When a shape undergoes a rotation in a plane, it moves around a fixed point (the center of rotation) without changing its dimensions or shape. This means that while the position of the shape changes, the arrangement of its points remains the same relative to each other. Consequently, the orientation of the shape — defined as the way it is 'facing' or has been positioned within its plane — is preserved throughout the rotation.

For instance, consider a triangle and rotate it at an angle. Although its location will shift, the vertices of the triangle will maintain their relative positions in the same clockwise or counterclockwise order. Therefore, the original orientation of the triangle is kept intact.

This understanding highlights that the rotation operation is reversible; if you were to rotate the shape back by the same angle, it would return to its original position and orientation. Thus, the assertion that a rotation retains the shape's original orientation is accurate.