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Tangent to a Circle
1/6
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By the end of this lesson, you'll solve:

"A wheel rolls on a flat road. The road touches the wheel at exactly one point. What angle does the road make with the spoke (radius) at that point?"

What is a Tangent?

Picture this: a ball sitting on a flat table. The table touches the ball at just one point -- that is a tangent line.

OPTangent ⊥ Radius at point of contact

Key Points

  • 1
    Touches the circle at exactly one point (point of tangency)
  • 2
    A secant cuts through at two points instead
  • 3
    Only one tangent at any point on a circle

Pro Tip

"Tangent" comes from Latin meaning "to touch" -- it just touches!

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