Question

Under which condition can a secant to a circle be called a tangent?

• A. The points of intersection are infinite distance apart.
• B. The secant passes through the centre of the circle.
• C. The points of intersection are coincident.
• D. The secant is a curved line.

Answer 1

The correct option is C The points of intersection are coincident.


A tangent is a special case of a secant. When a secant intersecting the circle in two points goes away from the centre of the circle, the points of intersection come closer to each other and when they coincide, the secant becomes the tangent, as shown in the given figure.