Home › Kerala SSLC (Class 10) › Mathematics › Tangents › Which definition correctly describes a tangent t…
Which definition correctly describes a tangent to a circle?
AA line that touches the circle at exactly one point
BA line that crosses the circle at exactly two distinct points
CA line that lies entirely inside the circle
DA line drawn from the centre to any point on the circle
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. A line that touches the circle at exactly one point
1. A secant cuts the circle at two points.
2. A tangent is the limiting case of a secant where the two intersection points coincide.
3. So a tangent touches the circle at exactly one point, called the point of contact.
4. A line entirely inside the circle is a chord segment, not a tangent.
5. A line from the centre to a point on the circle is a radius.
_Source: SCERT Kerala Std X Mathematics Part-2, Chapter 7 "Tangents" (pp 159-172, 2019 ed.)._
Related questions
In the chord-tangent picture, the angle which the chord makes with the tangent at one end Why does the construction of a tangent at a point P on a circle by drawing an arc centred To draw the tangent at a point on a circle without knowing the centre, one method uses anySides of a large triangle are tangent to the circumcircle of a small triangle, touching thA chord of a circle subtends a central angle of 60°. The angle between the tangent at one If the angle between a tangent and the chord at the point of contact is 30°, the inscribedIn a circle, the angle between two tangents drawn from an external point measures 70°. TheThe picture shows two tangents to a circle from an external point and the radii to the poi