w

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Ta
angents and Seecants to
t the C
Circle
A Line
L and a circle:
c
let us
u considerr a circle annd line sayy AB. Therre can be thhree possibbilities
giveen as follow
ws.
a)
a Non-inttersecting line:
l
The liine AB andd the circlee have no common
c
pooint. In thiis case,
AB is called a noon-interseccting line w
with respeect to the ciircle.

b)
b Tangen
nt: There iss only one point P whhich is com
mmon to thhe line AB and the cirrcle. In
this casee, AB is caalled a tanngent to thhe circle annd the poinnt P is called the poinnt of
contact..

c)
c Secant:: There aree two pointts P and Q which are common tto the line AB and thhe
circle. In this casee, AB is saiid to be a secant off the circle.

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The word tangent comes from the latin word tangere, which means to touch and was
introduced by Danish mathematician Thomas finke in 1583. The term secant is
derived from latin word secare which means to cut.
Tangent of a circle:
i)

A tangent to a circle is a line that intersects the circle at only one point.

ii)

There is only one tangent at a point of the circle.

iii)

We can draw any number of tangents to a circle.

iv)

We can draw only two tangents to a circle from a point away from the circle.

v)

A tangent is said to touch the circle at the common point.

Theorem(1): The tangent at any point of a circle is perpendicular to the radius

through the point of contact.
Theorem(2): If a line in the plane is perpendicular to the radius at its end point on the
circle, then the line is tangent to the circle.
Number of tangents from a circle:
a) There is no tangent to a circle through a point which lies inside the circle.
b) There is only one tangent to a circle passing through the point lying on the circle.
c) There are exactly two tangents to a circle through a point lying outside the circle.
Theorem(3): The lengths of tangents drawn from an external point to a circle are
equal.
Length of tangent: let P be an external point of a circle centered at O with radius r
and OP=d units. If the point of contact is A, then length of the tangent PA=
Segment of a circle:
In a circle, segment is a region bounded by an arc and a chord.
Area of segment of a circle= area of the corresponding sector-area of the
corresponding triangle.
=

x
r 2 area of OAB
360

A tangent to a circle intersects it in only one point.

A line intersecting a circle in two points is called a secant.
A circle can have two parallel tangents at the most.
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(d

r2 )

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The common point of a tangent to a circle is called point of contact.

We can draw infinite tangents to a given circle.
The lengths of tangents drawn from an external point to a circle are equal.
In two concentric circles, such that a chord of the bigger circle, that touches the
smaller circle is bisected at the point of contact with the smaller circle.
IF a circle touches all the four sides of a quadrilateral ABCD at points PQRS, hence
AB + CD = BC+DA
When the degree measure of the angle at the centre is x, the area of sector is
Area of segment of a circle = Area of corresponding sector area of the
corresponding triangles

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x
r2
360

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One Mark Questions

1) Define tangent of a circle.
A line which intersects a circle in only one point is called a tangent to the circle.
2) How many tangents can be drawn from a point outside a circle.
We can draw only two tangents from a point outside a circle.
3) How can you mark the centre of a circle if the circle is given without centre?
We draw any two non parallel chords and again draw the perpendicular bisectors of
the chords. The intersecting point of the two perpendicular bisectors is the centre of
the circle.
4) Calculate the length of a tangent from a point 13cm away from the centre of a
circle of radius 5cm.
Here r = 5cm and d = 13cm
Length of tangent=

d 2 r2

= 132 52
=144
=12
5) Write a formula to find area of circle.

6) Write the formula to find area of regular hexagon.

A = 6

3 2
a
4

7) Define normal to the circle at a point.

The line containing the radius through the point of contact is also called the normal to
the circle at the point.
8) Write a formula to find area of rectangle.
A = l b sq. units
9) Which is the Longest chord of a circle
Diametre
10)

What is meant by secant of a circle?

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If a line touches the circle at two points then it is called secant of the circle
11)

What is meant by point of contact?

The tangent where it touches the circle, that point is called point of contact.

12)

How many diameters will be there in a circle?

Infinite

13)

How many tangents can be drawn through a point inside a circle?

Zero

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Sh
hort typ
pe Questtions
1) Two
T concentric circlles having radii 5 cm
m and 3 cm
m are draw
wn. Find the
t length of the
chord of the larger
l
circcle which touches
t
th
he smaller circle.
As shown
s
in thhe figure
OP
P = 3 cm, OB = 5 cm
m
Sincce AB toucches the sm
maller circlle at P,
We have OP is perpenddicular to AB
A
OPB = 90D

By Pythagoras
P
s theorem,

=5
5

25

16

PB= 4 cm
Since thhe perpenddicular throough the ceenter bisectts a chord
We havve AP=PB = 4cm
AB=AP
P+PB=4cm
m+4cm = 8ccm
Thus, thhe length of
o the requiired chord = 8cm.
2) A chord off a circle of radius 10cm. subttends a rigght angle aat the centtre. Find tthe
area
a of the correspond
c
ding.
1. Minor
M
segm
ment 2. Majjor segmen
nt
sol: Radius off the circle = 10cm
B=90
AOB
AB = O
OAOB
Area of the OA
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=1/2
1010
=50cm2

Area of sectorr OAPB =

x
r2
360

= 1/4314ccm2
= 78.5cm
i)
i

Areaa of minor segment=aarea of thee sector OA

APB-area oof
= 78.5cm
m2-50cm2
= 28.5cm
m2

ii)
i

Areaa of the circle =

= 3.11410cm 10cm
= 314 cm2
=area of thee circle-areea of the m
minor segmeent
Area off the major segment=
=314-28.5
=285.5ccm2

3) A car has two wipers wh

hich do noot overlap .Each wip
per has a blade
b
of leength
a angle oof 115. Fin
nd the totaal area cleeaned at eaach
25 cm. Sweeping through an
o the blad
des.
sweep of
Sol: Wee note that the area clleaned by each
e
sweepp of the blaade of each
h wiper is equal.
e
A sweptt by each wiper
Area
w
= Arrea of the sector.
s
=

x
r2
360

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= 115/ 360 22//7 25 25

2 = 1581225/252 cm2
w
= 2
158125/2
252 = 12544.96 cm2
Total arrea cleanedd by both wipers

4 ) Find
d the area of the shaaded regioon in figurre, if ABCD
D is a squa
are of sidee 10cm
and sem
mi circles are
a drawn
n with each
h side of the squaree as diametter (use
.
Sol: as in figure, let us nam
me the unshhaded regioons as 1, 2, 3 and 4 frrom figure,, we
o
observe
thaat area of 1+
+area of 3
=area of ABCD-area
A
as of two ssemi circlees each of radius
r
5cm
m
=10cm1
10cm-21//2 r2
=100cm2-3.145cm
m5cm
=100cm2-78.5cm2

=21.5cm
m2
m2
Similarlly, area of 2 + area of 4=2.5cm
Area off the shadedd part=areaa of ABCD
D-area of (1+2+3+4)
= (100-43)ccm2
=57cm2
=
5. Find the area of
o the shad
ded region
n in figuree, if ABCD
D is a squaare of side 7cm
PD and BP
PC are sem
micircles.
and AP
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Soll: side of thhe square=

=7cm
Area of the
t square=
=77=49cm
m2
Radius off each sem
micircle=7/2
2cm

Area of APD
A
semiciircle=1/2 r2
=77/4ccm2
Sim
milarly areaa of BPC seemicircle=77/4cm2
Sum
m of areas of
o two sem
micircles=3
38.5cm2
Area of the shhaded part=
=area of AB
BCD-sum of areas off semicirclles
=492-38.552
=10.5cm2
6)
6 Find thee area of sector
s
who
ose radius is 7cm wiith the given angle:
60,30,72,90,120
Sol: If x=60
x
then
n area of sector =

x
r2
360

= 777/3cm2
Iff x=30 thhen area off sector=777/6cm2
Iff x=90 thhen area off sector=777/2cm2
Iff x=72 thhen area off sector=1554/5cm2

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7. Find th
he length of
o tangent to a circlee with centtre O an
nd with its radius 6ccm
from a po
oint P such
h that OP = 10cm an
nd the poiint of conttact is A.
Sol: Tan
ngent is peerpendiculaar to the raadius at a point
p
of conntact

OAP=90

B Pythago
By
oras theorem
m, OP2 = OA
O 2 + PA2

PA2 = OP
O 2-OA2
= 1000-36
= 644
PA = 64
6
= 8ccm
8. If two tangents
t
A and AQ
AP
Q are draw
wn to a cirrcle with ccentre O frrom an external
point A th
hen prove PAQ=22OPQ.
Sol: P
PAQ = saay
C
Clearly
AP = AQ

APQ=A
AQP
B PAQ + APQ + AQP =180
But
=

APQ
= AQP=1/2((180- ) =
=90 - 1/2
A OPQ
Also
Q = OPA
A - APQ = 1/2 = PAQ
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OPQ = 1/2
1 PAQ
PAQ = 2 OPQ
9. If a ciircle touch
hes all the four sidess of a quad
drilateral ABCD at points PQ
QRS,
then AB
B + CD = BC
B + DA.
Sol: thee two tangeents drawn from a point outsidee to a circlee are equall

A
AP=AS,
BP
P=BQ, DR
R=DS, CR=
=CQ
B adding
By
A
AP+BP+DR
R+CR=AS
S+BQ+DS+
+CQ
A
AB+CD=B
C+DA
H
Hence
prov
ved.
10. If th
he radius of
o a circle is 5cm an
nd the anggle inclined
d between the tangeents
from a point outsside is 60, then whaat is the diistance between the centre an
nd the
utside.
point ou
Sol: Froom the figu
ure, it is given
O
OA=5cm,

APB=60

C
Clearly
OP is an anguular bisectoor of P

APO=
=30 and OAP=90

In OA
AP we havee
Sin30=
=OA/OP
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=5/OP
P
OP=10ccm

Essay typ
pe Quesstions
1)
1 Prove that
t
the pa
arallelograam circum
mscribing a circle is a rhombu
us.
Sol. Givenn: ABCD is a parallellogram
AB = CD
C and AD
D = BC .................(1))
The lengths of tanngents to a circle from
m an extern
nal point arre equal.

Thus,
AS = AP;
A BQ = BP;
B CQ = CR;
C DS = R
RD
By addiing, we gett
AS + BQ + CQ + DS = AP+
+ BP+ CR + RD
AS + DS + BQ + CQ = AP+
+ BP+ CR+
+ RD
AD+ BC
C = AB + CD
From (1) we
w have
AD + AD
A = AB + AB
2A D = 2A B
AD = AB
A ..............(2)
From (11) and (2) we have
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AB = BC=
B CD= AD
A
ABCD is a rhomb
bus.
Hence proved.
p
2)
2 Constru
uct a tanggent to a ciircle of rad
dius 4 cm from a pooint on thee concentrric
circles of
o radius 6 cm and measure its
i length. Also veriffy the meaasurementt by
actual calculation
c
n.
Steps
S
of coonstructionn;
1)
1 Draw tw
wo concenttric circless centred att 0 with raddii 4 cm annd 6 cm
2)
2 Make an
ny point A on the cirrcle with raadius 6 cm
m
3)
3 Join OA
A and draw
w a perpenddicular biseector to meeet OA at C

4)
4 Centredd at c with radius AC draw an arc
a to cut th
he circle w
with radius 4 cm at P. AP is a
tangent to the circcle with raddius 4 cm.
he circle with
w radius 4 cm and P be the pooint of conttact.
We havve AB as taangent to th
Clearlly OP is peerpendiculaar to AB;
OPA = 90
By Pyth
hagoras theeorem
OA
A = OP + AP
AP
P = OA - OP
= 6 - 4 = 36-166 = 20
AP = 2

2
25
= 2 2.236 = 4..472cm (appp)

We
W can verify the meaasurementss are both equal.
e

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3)
3 In a riight angle triangle ABC , a circle
c
with
h a side A
AB as diam
meter is drrawn to
intersecct the hyp
potenuse AC
A in P. Prove that the tangent to the circle
c
at P bisects
the sidee BC.

Sol.
S
Givenn: in
ABC,

we have B = 90 and AB is the diameter of

o the circlee with centtre O. the circle
c
intersect
i
A in the ciircle intersect AC in P and the tangent
AC
t
PT
T at P meetts BC in T.
To
T prove: TB
T = TC
Constructio
C
on: joint BP
Proof:
P
AP
PB=90

Also
A APB
B + BPC
C = 180
90
9 + BP
PC = 180
BPC

= 900
Now
N ABC = 90
BAC

+ ACB

= 90
0
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BPC

= BAC

+ A
ACB
BPC

+ CPT

= B
BAC + A
ACB
But,
B BPT
T = BAC
CPT

= ACB

PT
P = TC
But
B PT = TB
T
TB
T = TC
Hence
H
the theorem
t
4)
4 AB and
d CD are respectivel
r
ly arcs of two
t conceentric circlles with ra
adii 21cm and
7cm with centre O. If AO
OB=30, fiind the areea of the shaded reg
gion.

Sol: areea of the seector OAB =

x
r2
360

= 30/360
22/721
21
= 231/2 cm
m2
A of sector OCD =
Area

x
r2
360

=
=77/6cm
Area off shaded poortion = areea of sector OAB area
a of secttor OCD
= 231/22cm -77/6ccm
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= 308cm
= 102.67cm
Bit -Bank
1.

The length of the tangents from a point A to a circle of radius 3 cm is 4 cm, then
the distance between A and the centre of the circle is ____

2.

____ tangents lines can be drawn to a circle from a point outside the circle.

3.

Angle between the tangent and radius drawn through the point of contact is
____

4.

A circle may have ____parallel tangents.

5.

The common point to a tangent and a circle is called ____

6.

A line which intersects the given circle at two distinct points is called a ____
line.

7.

Sum of the central angles in a circle is___

8.

The shaded portion represents ____

9.

If a circle touches all the four sides of an quadrilateral ABCD at points P, Q, R,

S then AB + CD = ____

10.

If AP and AQ are the two tangents a circle with centre O so that POQ = 110
then PAQ is equal to ____

11.

If two concentric circles of radii 5 cm and 3 cm are drawn, then the length of
the chord of the larger circle which touches the smaller circle is ____

12.

If the semi perimeter of given ABC = 28 cm then AF+BD+CE is ____

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13.

The area of a square inscribed in a circle of radius 8cm is ____ cm2.

14.

Number of circles passing through 3 collinear points in a plane is ____

15.

In the figure BAC ____

16.

If the sector of the circle made an at the centre is x and radius of the circle is r,
then the area of sector is ____

17.

If the length of the minute hand of a clock is 14cm, then the area swept by the
minute hand in 10 minutes ____

18.

If the angle between two radii of a circle is 130, the angle between the tangents
at the ends of the radii is ____

19.

If PT is tangent drawn from a point P to a circle touching it at T and O is the

centre of the circle, then OPT+POT is ____

20.

Two parallel lines touch the circle at points A and B. If area of the circle is
25cm2, then AB is equal to ____

21.

A circle have____ tangents.

22.

A quadrilateral PQRS is drawn to circumscribe a circle. If PQ, QR, RS (in cm)

are 5, 9, 8 respectively, then PS (in cms) equal to ____

23.

From the figure ACB = ____

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Answers:
1) 5cm; 2) 2; 3) 90; 4) 2; 5) Point of contact; 6) Secant line; 7) 360; 8) Minor
segment; 9) BC + AD; 10) 70; 11) 8 cm; 12) 28cm; 13) 128;14) 1; 15) 30; 16)
xD
r 2 ; 17) 102 2 ; 18) 50; 19) 90; 20) 10cm; 21) Infinitely many; 22) 4cm;
360
3

23) 90; 24) 65; 25) 2 a 2 b 2 ; 26) 6cm; 27) 2cm; 28) equal.

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