Tangent Lines to Circles Worksheet

Tangent Lines to Circles

Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Show all work where necessary.

1. A line that intersects a circle at exactly one point is called a:

2. If a line is tangent to a circle, then it is   to the radius drawn to the point of tangency.

3. A tangent segment from an external point to a circle is congruent to another tangent segment from the same external point to the same circle.

4. The angle formed by a tangent and a chord drawn to the point of tangency is equal to half the measure of the intercepted arc.

5. Given a circle with center (0,0) and radius 5. Find the equation of the tangent line to the circle at the point (3,4).

6. A point P (6, 8) lies on a circle with center at the origin. Determine the equation of the tangent line to the circle at point P.

7. The distance from the center of a circle to a tangent line is equal to the   of the circle.

8. Two tangent segments from an external point to a circle form an angle, and the line segment connecting the external point to the center of the circle   that angle.

9. Explain how you would determine if a given line is tangent to a given circle. Provide an example to illustrate your explanation.