Which geometric term describes a line that intersects a circle in two points?

Which geometric term describes a line that intersects a circle in two points?

• A. Radius
• B. Chord
• C. Secant
• D. Diameter

Answer: (C)

When a straight line crosses a circle, the name depends on how many times it meets the circle. If it intersects the circle at two distinct points, that line is a secant. The two intersection points mark the ends of a chord, which is the segment inside the circle joining those points. If that line also passes through the center, the chord becomes a diameter, a special kind of chord. A radius is a line segment from the center to the circle, not a line that cuts through the circle itself, and a tangent touches the circle at exactly one point. So a line that intersects the circle in two points is best described as a secant.

When a straight line crosses a circle, the name depends on how many times it meets the circle. If it intersects the circle at two distinct points, that line is a secant. The two intersection points mark the ends of a chord, which is the segment inside the circle joining those points. If that line also passes through the center, the chord becomes a diameter, a special kind of chord. A radius is a line segment from the center to the circle, not a line that cuts through the circle itself, and a tangent touches the circle at exactly one point. So a line that intersects the circle in two points is best described as a secant.