Chords, Secants, and Tangents in Circles Worksheets

What Are Chords, Secants, and Tangents in Circles? A circle is one of the commonly found and often observed geometrical figures. It is a two-dimensional figure and is usually defined as the shape that has all the points present equidistant from the center of the circle. Some real-world examples include a wheel, coin, and round bottle caps. To measure the distance between any point on the circumference of the circle and the center, we draw radius. Radius is also half the length of a diameter. Diameter is the line passing through the center and drawn across the circle. Besides radius and diameter, the circle has some parts too. A chord is a line that connects the two points on the circumference of the circle. Let's understand this with a real-life example. Suppose you are standing at one side of the circular pond and gazing at the picnic tables on the other side of the pond. The chord is the line starting from you (point A) to the picnic tables on the other side (point B). Typically, there are two types of segments drawn across the circle. A segment that intersects the edge of the circle twice is known as the secant. And a segment that touches the edge of the circle is known as the tangent.