Circle tangents, a formula, some properties, and an equation

Safalta Expert Published by: Saksham Chauhan Updated Mon, 18 Jul 2022 01:38 AM IST

Highlights

The Latin word "tangent" means "to touch". A straight line that touches the circle or ellipse at any one point but does not enter the circle is referred to as a tangent. The tangent in geometry is the line that meets a circle's circumference directly at any point. Read this post carefully to learn more about tangents and the tangent theory. Here, we'll talk about what a tangent is, how it relates to circles, the tangent theorem, etc. 

Source: Safalta.com

The Latin word "tangent" means "to touch." A straight line that touches the circle or ellipse at any one point but does not enter the circle is referred to as a tangent. The tangent in geometry is the line that meets a circle's circumference directly at any point.
Here, we'll talk about what a tangent is, how it relates to circles, the tangent theorem, etc. So read this post carefully to learn more about tangents. If you are preparing for competitive exams and looking for expert guidance, you can download our General Knowledge Free Ebook Download Now.

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Table of Content
Tangential Meaning
Indicator of Tangency
Tangential characteristics
Tangents Method
The Uses of Tangent
Tangent Equations

 

Tangential Meaning

A tangent is the straight line that connects any two points in geometry to the circumference of a circle. It may alternatively be described as the line that depicts a curve's slope at that precise location. The so-called point of tangency is touched by a line. Tangents are common in daily life; for example, if we roll a ball or ring on a surface, any point around the wheel's circle will create a tangent.

Indicator of Tangency

A point of tangency is when the straight line crosses or touches another object. P is the point of tangency in the aforementioned diagram.

Tangential characteristics

The following are a tangent's crucial characteristics:
  • Any place on the circle's circumference where a tangent touches or intersects it.
  • There is never a tangent that penetrates the circle.
  • The point on the circle is right-angled intersected by a tangent.

Tangents Method

The tangent of a right-angled triangle in trigonometry is the ratio of the lengths of the adjacent and opposing sides. Additionally, it is described as the sine to cosine function of an acute angle when the cosine function's value is not zero. Out of a total of six trigonometric functions, the tangent is one of the most significant. Think of the right-angled triangle ABC, where the hypotenuse is AB, the neighboring side is BC, and the opposite side is AC.

Tanθ = Sinθ/Cosθ

The tangent function in trigonometry is used to express the slope of a line that intersects a right-angled triangle's hypotenuse and altitude. The slope of numerous objects with respect to the origin may be determined using the tangent function in both geometry and trigonometry.

The Uses of Tangent

Tangent has several uses across a variety of industries. The following is a list of some significant applications:
  • When tackling maxima and minima issues
  • When drawing curves
  • In situations involving distance, velocity, and acceleration
  • estimating mechanism
  • With regard to rated functions
  • difficulties with height and distance
  • In slope and gradient analysis

Tangent Equations

Take into account any curve where a normal is traced to a single point at the perimeter and a tangent line runs through it. The tangent equation will then be derived from this. We are aware that a straight line's equation has a slope of m and goes through any point (x0, y0). The slope's equation is provided by:

y – y0 = m (x – x0)

At an origin (x0, y0), the slope of a tangent line to the curve f(x)=y is given by

dy/dx (x0, y0) = [f’ (x0)]

As a result, the equation for the tangent of (x0, y0) to the curve y=f(x) is

y – y0 = f ′(x0)(x – x0)

The normal is typically parallel to the tangent line. Therefore, at point (x0, y0), the slope normal to the curve f(x)=y is given by

y-y0 = [-1/f’(x0)] (x-x0)

The above equation may be written as also

y-y0) f’(x0) + (x-x0) = 0

 

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What is a tangent?

A tangent is a straight line that never enters the inside of the circle and travels through any one point on its perimeter.

What is the tangency's purpose?

A point of tangency is a location through which a straight line passes.

What number of tangents can the circle support?

Infinite tangents can be drawn in a circle. A circle has an endless number of points and infinite tangents can be formed from it. A tangent line is a simple name for a line.

Is a tangent permitted to enter the circle?

Tangents cannot ever be used to create a circle. It travels from just one spot. It will be referred to as a chord of the circle if it enters within the circle.