Keyframe animations in CSS - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a keyframe animation in CSS?

A keyframe animation in CSS lets you change styles smoothly over time by defining specific points (keyframes) with different styles. The browser fills in the changes between these points.

beginner

How do you define keyframes in CSS?

You use the @keyframes rule followed by a name and curly braces. Inside, you write percentages or keywords like from and to with style changes for each step.

beginner

What does the animation-duration property do?

It sets how long the animation takes to complete one cycle, usually in seconds or milliseconds.

intermediate

Explain the difference between from/to and percentage keyframes.

<code>from</code> is the same as 0% (start), and <code>to</code> is the same as 100% (end). Percentages let you add steps in between, like 50% for the middle of the animation.

beginner

How can you make an animation repeat forever?

Use the animation-iteration-count property and set it to infinite.

Which CSS rule is used to create keyframe animations?

A @frames

B @animation

C @keyframes

D @motion

The correct rule to define keyframe animations is @keyframes.

What does animation-duration: 3s; mean?

A Animation delays 3 seconds before starting

B Animation starts after 3 seconds

C Animation repeats 3 times

D Animation runs for 3 seconds

animation-duration sets how long one animation cycle lasts.

How do you specify the middle point of an animation?

A Use 50% in @keyframes

B Use from

C Use to

D Use 100%

You use percentages like 50% to define intermediate steps in the animation.

Which property makes an animation repeat forever?

A animation-iteration-count: infinite;

B animation-repeat: forever;

C animation-loop: always;

D animation-count: forever;

The correct property is animation-iteration-count set to infinite.

What is the difference between from and to in keyframes?

A They are not valid in keyframes

B <code>from</code> is 0%, <code>to</code> is 100%

C They are the same and mean 50%

D <code>from</code> is 100%, <code>to</code> is 0%

from means the start (0%) and to means the end (100%) of the animation.

Describe how to create a simple CSS animation that moves a box from left to right.

Think about defining start and end positions and telling the box to animate.

Explain how you can control the speed and repetition of a CSS animation.

Focus on properties that control time and loops.

Practice

1. What does the @keyframes rule do in CSS animations?

easy

A. Stops the animation immediately

B. Applies the animation to an HTML element

C. Sets the animation duration and delay

D. Defines the stages of an animation with style changes over time

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of @keyframes

   The @keyframes rule defines how styles change at different points during the animation timeline.

2. Step 2: Differentiate from animation properties

   Properties like animation-duration or animation-name apply the animation, but @keyframes sets the actual style changes.

3. Final Answer:

   Defines the stages of an animation with style changes over time -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   @keyframes defines animation steps [OK]

Hint: Remember: @keyframes sets animation steps [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing @keyframes with animation properties
• Thinking @keyframes applies animation to elements
• Mixing up animation duration with keyframe definitions

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to define a simple keyframe animation named fade that changes opacity from 0 to 1?

easy

A. @keyframe fade { start { opacity: 0; } end { opacity: 1; } }

B. @keyframes fade { from { opacity: 0; } to { opacity: 1; } }

C. @animation fade { 0% { opacity: 0; } 100% { opacity: 1; } }

D. @keyframes fade { 0 { opacity: 0; } 1 { opacity: 1; } }

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall correct @keyframes syntax

   The correct rule is @keyframes followed by the animation name and curly braces containing percentage or keyword steps.

2. Step 2: Check the step keywords and values

   Valid steps are from and to or percentages like 0% and 100%. @keyframes fade { from { opacity: 0; } to { opacity: 1; } } uses from and to correctly.

3. Final Answer:

   @keyframes fade { from { opacity: 0; } to { opacity: 1; } } -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Correct @keyframes syntax uses from and to [OK]

Hint: Use @keyframes with from/to or 0%/100% [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using @animation instead of @keyframes
• Using invalid step names like start or end
• Omitting percentage signs or keywords in steps

3. Given the CSS below, what will happen to the <div> element when the page loads?

div {
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  background-color: red;
  animation: slide 2s forwards;
}

@keyframes slide {
  0% { transform: translateX(0); }
  100% { transform: translateX(200px); }
}

medium

A. The div moves 200px to the right over 2 seconds and stays there

B. The div moves 200px to the right instantly with no animation

C. The div moves 200px to the left over 2 seconds and returns

D. The div does not move because animation is missing

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the animation properties

   The div has an animation named slide that lasts 2 seconds and uses forwards fill mode, meaning it keeps the final state.

2. Step 2: Understand the keyframe effect

   The slide animation moves the div from translateX(0) to translateX(200px), which moves it 200 pixels to the right.

3. Final Answer:

   The div moves 200px to the right over 2 seconds and stays there -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Animation moves right 200px and stays [OK]

Hint: Check animation duration and fill mode for final position [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing direction of translateX (right vs left)
• Ignoring the forwards fill mode effect
• Thinking animation happens instantly without duration

4. Identify the error in this CSS animation code:

@keyframes grow {
  0% { width: 100px; }
  100% { width: 200px }
}

.box {
  animation-name: grow;
  animation-duration: 3s;
  animation-iteration-count: infinite
}

medium

A. Missing semicolon after width: 200px in keyframes

B. Incorrect animation property name; should be animation

C. Animation duration must be in milliseconds, not seconds

D. Missing @keyframes keyword

Solution

1. Step 1: Check syntax inside @keyframes

   Each CSS declaration must end with a semicolon. The width: 200px line is missing a semicolon.

2. Step 2: Verify animation properties

   The properties animation-name, animation-duration, and animation-iteration-count are correct and properly used.

3. Final Answer:

   Missing semicolon after width: 200px in keyframes -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   CSS declarations need semicolons [OK]

Hint: Always end CSS declarations with semicolons [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting semicolons inside keyframes
• Confusing animation property names
• Using wrong units for duration

5. You want to create a bouncing ball effect using keyframe animations. Which keyframe sequence best simulates a ball dropping and bouncing back up smoothly?

hard

A. @keyframes bounce {
0% { transform: translateX(0); }
50% { transform: translateX(100px); }
100% { transform: translateX(0); }
}

B. @keyframes bounce {
0% { transform: translateY(100px); }
50% { transform: translateY(0); }
100% { transform: translateY(100px); }
}

C. @keyframes bounce {
0%, 100% { transform: translateY(0); }
50% { transform: translateY(100px); }
}

D. @keyframes bounce {
0% { transform: translateY(0); }
50% { transform: translateY(-100px); }
100% { transform: translateY(0); }
}

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand bounce motion direction

   A bouncing ball moves down (positive Y) then back up (to zero). So translateY should go from 0 to positive value and back.

2. Step 2: Analyze each option's keyframes

   @keyframes bounce { 0%, 100% { transform: translateY(0); } 50% { transform: translateY(100px); } } moves from 0 to 100px down at 50% and back to 0 at 100%, simulating a bounce. @keyframes bounce { 0% { transform: translateY(100px); } 50% { transform: translateY(0); } 100% { transform: translateY(100px); } } starts at 100px down, which is unnatural. @keyframes bounce { 0% { transform: translateY(0); } 50% { transform: translateY(-100px); } 100% { transform: translateY(0); } } moves up (-100px), not down. @keyframes bounce { 0% { transform: translateX(0); } 50% { transform: translateX(100px); } 100% { transform: translateX(0); } } moves horizontally, not vertically.

3. Final Answer:

   @keyframes bounce { 0%, 100% { transform: translateY(0); } 50% { transform: translateY(100px); } } -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Bounce moves down then up vertically [OK]

Hint: Bounce means down (positive Y) then back up (zero) [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using negative translateY for bounce down
• Animating horizontal movement instead of vertical
• Starting animation at the bottom position