SEGMENTS FORMED BY

CHORDS, SECANTS
AND TANGENTS
 Segments Formed by Chords
Theorem: The product of the lengths of the two segments formed from one chord,
is equal to the product of the lengths of the two segments formed from the other
chord.

In a circle, suppose two chords

and intersect at a point P
inside the circle. Then,

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 2

 Segments Formed by Chords

Chords and intersect at R.

Solution:

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 3

 Segments Formed by Chords

Chords and intersect at R.

Solution:

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 4

 Segments Formed by Chords: Exercises
Chords and intersect at R.

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 5

 Segments Formed by Secants and Tangents
Theorem: The product of the lengths of the secant segment and the part of this
segment outside the circle, is equal to square of the length of the tangent
segment.

Suppose from a point P outside a

circle, a tangent segment and a
secant segment are drawn, with
intersecting the circle also at B.
Then

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 6

 Segments Formed by Secants and Tangents
In the figure, is a tangent segment and is a secant segment.

Solution:

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 7

 Segments Formed by Secants and Tangents
In the figure, is a tangent segment and is a secant segment.

Solution:

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 8

Segments Formed by Secants and Tangents: Exercises
In the figure, is a tangent segment and is a secant segment.

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 9

 Segments Formed by Secants
Theorem: The product of the lengths of a secant segment and the part of this
segment outside the circle is equal to the product similarly constructed from
another secant segment.

Suppose from a point P outside a circle,

secant segments and are drawn,
with these segments intersecting the
circle a second time at points B and D,
respectively. Then

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 10

 Segments Formed by Secants
Consider the secant segments and in the figure.

Solution:

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 11

 Segments Formed by Secants
Consider the secant segments and in the figure.

Solution:

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 12

 Segments Formed by Secants: Exercises
Consider the secant segments and in the figure.

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 13

 Tangents
Theorem: Given a point outside a circle, the two tangent segments drawn from
this point are congruent.

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 14

 Common External Tangent
Theorem: If two circles have two common external tangent segments, then these
segments are congruent.

Common external tangents of

ⵙA and ⵙB:
Common external segments of
ⵙA and ⵙB:

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 15

 Common External Tangent: Activity
Determine the common external tangent segments of the following figure.

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 16

 Common Internal Tangent
Theorem: If two circles have two common internal tangent segments, then these
segments are congruent.

Common internal tangents of ⵙJ

and ⵙK:
Common internal segments of
ⵙJ and ⵙK:

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 17

 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.

7
1
X 10 Y

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 18

 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.
N
as common external tangent segment
P
M 7
1
X 10 Y
Draw perpendicular to

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 19

 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.
N
1
Note that: P
M 7
1
X 10 Y

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 20

 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.

Observe △PXY: N
1
Hypotenuse
P
M 6
Leg 1
1
X 10 Y
Leg 2

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 21

 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.
N
1
Leg 2 8 P
M 6
8
1
X 10 Y

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 22

 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.

1 Y
X 10
7

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 23

 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.

as common internal tangent segment

Q
1 Y
X Z 10
7

R
Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 24
 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.

Let

Observe that
Q
1 Y
X Z 10
7

R
Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 25
 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.

Q
1 Y
X Z 10
7

R
Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 26
 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.

Q
1 Y
X Z
7

R
Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 27
 Common Tangents
Circles ⵙX and ⵙY have radii 1 and 7, respectively, and their centers are 10
units apart. Find the length of , a common external tangent segment,
and the length of , a common internal tangent segment.

Q
1 Y
X Z
7

R
Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 28
 Common Tangents: Exercises
Suppose the centers are 13 units apart, and the radii of ⵙX and ⵙY are 1
and 6, respectively. Find the lengths of the common tangent segments
and

1 Y
X 13
6

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 29

 Tangent Circles

Tangent
externally

Tangent
internally

Segments Formed by Chords, Secants and Tangents 30