Question 4
Draw a circle and two lines parallel to a given line such that one is a tangent and the other, a secant to the circle.
- Tangent: A line that touches the circle at exactly one point (perpendicular to the radius at the point of contact).
- Secant: A line that intersects the circle at two distinct points.
- Objective: Given a line , construct two lines parallel to such that one is a tangent and the other is a secant to the circle.
Step 1 · Set Up the Circle and Given Line
Draw a circle with center and a given straight line .
Step 2 · Draw Perpendicular Line to AB
Draw a line passing through center perpendicular to line , meeting at point .
Step 3 · Mark Points for Tangent and Secant
Extend line to intersect the circle at point (on the circumference) and choose any point on inside the circle.
Step 4 · Construct Parallel Tangent and Secant Lines
- Draw a line through point perpendicular to . Since and , . Because touches the circle at only point , is a tangent.
- Draw a line through point perpendicular to . Since and , . Because passes through the interior and cuts the circle at two points, is a secant.
Line is the tangent and line is the secant, both parallel to the given line .
- Tangent vs Secant: A tangent must touch the circle at exactly point on the boundary, whereas a secant must pass through the interior and intersect the circle at distinct points.
- Parallel Condition: Both lines must be perpendicular to the same common normal line to ensure they are parallel to line .
More questions in Exercise 10.1
How many tangents can a circle have?
Fill in the blanks:
(i) A tangent to a circle intersects it in ____________ point(s).
(ii) A line intersecting a circle in two points is called a ____________.
(iii) A circle can have ____________ parallel tangents at the most.
(iv) The common point of a tangent to a circle and the circle is called ____________.
A tangent at a point of a circle of radius meets a line through the centre at a point so that . Length is :
(A) (B) (C) (D) .
Draw a circle and two lines parallel to a given line such that one is a tangent and the other, a secant to the circle.