Tangent, Secant and Chord
Here you will learn about different types of lines segment:
Tangent, secant and chord. These types of lines are often found within themes such as geometry, construction, equations and functions. This is a topic you won't get away from in the years to come, so let's going
Tangent
A line that intersects a circle or an arc at just one point, is a tangent. In everyday speech, you have probably heard that a speaker went off on a tangent. This means that he was at the edge or the tip of the main subject he was talking about.
Secant and Chord
A secant is a line that intersects a circle or arc at two points. The part of the secant that is inside the circle or arc is a chord.
The figure below shows the circle and all the different lines that you need to know. Notice that the chord lies on the inside of the circle, and that the diameter is the longest chord in the circle.
Furthermore, you need to know that the radius is half the diameter.
This is a relationship that you will use very often.
