What is the Difference Between Chord Secant and Tangent?

The difference between a chord, a secant, and a tangent lies in how they intersect a circle:

• Chord: A chord is a line segment that joins two points on the circumference of the circle. When a chord passes through the circle's center, it is called a diameter.
• Secant: A secant is a line that intersects the circle at exactly two points. It can be thought of as an extension of a chord that does not pass through the circle's center.
• Tangent: A tangent is a line that touches the circle's circumference only once. It intersects the circle at a single point and does not pass through the circle's interior.

In summary, a chord connects two points on the circle, a secant intersects the circle at two points, and a tangent touches the circle at only one point.

Comparative Table: Chord Secant vs Tangent

Here is a table comparing the differences between chord, secant, and tangent:

In summary, a chord is a line segment with endpoints on a curve, a secant is a line passing through two points on a curve, and a tangent is a line that just touches a plane curve and passes through a point on the curve. A tangent can be considered as a special case of a secant, and the measure of an angle formed by a chord and a tangent that intersect on the circle is half the measure of the intercepted arc.