Relating Radii to Secants and Tangents

Relating Radii to Secants and Tangents

Observe how the angles a radius makes with a line change as the line shifts from a secant to a tangent.


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Putting It All Together

Answer these open ended questions on your own or with others to form deeper math connections.

Avoin kysymys 1

Why are the angles shown in the figure congruent?

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Avoin kysymys 2

As you move the two points closer together, what happens to the measures of the two angles formed by the radii and the line?

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Avoin kysymys 3

What do you observe about these angles at the exact moment the two points coincide and the line becomes a tangent?

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Avoin kysymys 4

If you pick a point on the tangent line (other than the point of tangency), would its distance to the center be greater than, less than, or equal to the radius? Why?

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Avoin kysymys 5

Use your answer to the latest question to formally prove that the tangent line is perpendicular to the radius.

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