Examples, videos, worksheets, solutions, and activities to help Geometry students learn about the tangents of a circle.
What is a tangent?
A tangent is a line in the plane of a circle that intersects the circle at one point.
What is a common tangent?
A common tangent is a line that is a tangent to each of two coplanar circles.
What is a common external tangent?
A common external tangent does not intersect the segment that joins the centers of the circles.
What is a common internal tangent?
A common internal tangent intersects the segment that joins the centers of the circles.
The following diagrams show some examples of common external tangents and common internal tangents. Scroll down the page for more examples and solutions of common external tangents and common internal tangents.
Try the free Mathway calculator and problem solver below to practice various math topics. Try the given examples, or type in your own problem and check your answer with the step-by-step explanations.
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