206

MATHEMATICS

CIRCLE
S
10
10.1 Introduction
You have studied in Class IX that a circle is a collection of all points in a plane
which are at a constant distance (radius) from a fixed point (centre). You have
also studied various terms related to a circle like chord, segment, sector, arc etc.
Let us now examine the different situations that can arise when a circle and a
line are given in a plane.
So, let us consider a circle and a line PQ. There can be three possibilities
given in Fig. 10.1 below:

Fig. 10.1
In Fig. 10.1 (i), the line PQ and the circle have no common point. In this case,
PQ is called a non-intersecting line with respect to the circle. In Fig. 10.1 (ii),
there are two common points A and B that the line PQ and the circle have. In this
case, we call the line PQ a secant of the circle. In Fig. 10.1 (iii), there is only one
point A which is common to the line PQ and the circle. In this case, the line is
called a tangent to the circle.

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You might have seen a pulley fitted over a well which is

used in taking out water from the well. Look at Fig. 10.2. Here
the rope on both sides of the pulley, if considered as a ray, is
like a tangent to the circle representing the pulley.
Is there any position of the line with respect to the circle
other than the types given above? You can see that there cannot
be any other type of position of the line with respect to the
circle. In this chapter, we will study about the existence of the Fig. 10.2
tangents to a circle and also study some of their properties.

10.2 Tangent to a Circle

In the previous section, you have seen that a tangent* to a circle is a line that
intersects the circle at only one point.
To understand the existence of the tangent to a circle at a point, let us perform
the following activities:
Activity 1 : Take a circular wire and attach a straight wire AB at a point P of
the circular wire so that it can rotate about the point P in a plane. Put the system on
a table and gently rotate the wire AB about the point P to get different positions of
the straight wire [see Fig. 10.3(i)].
In various positions, the wire intersects the
circular wire at P and at another point Q1 or Q2 or
Q3, etc. In one position, you will see that it will
intersect the circle at the point P only (see
position AB of AB). This shows that a tangent
exists at the point P of the circle. On rotating
further, you can observe that in all other
positions of AB, it will intersect the circle at P
and at another point, say R1 or R2 or R3, etc. So,
onlycan
you oneobserve
tangentthat
at there
a point
is of the circle. Fig. 10.3 (i)
While doing activity above, you must have observed that as the position AB
moves towards the position A B, the common point, say Q1, of the line AB and
the circle gradually comes nearer and nearer to the common point P. Ultimately, it
coincides with the point P in the position AB of AB. Again note, what happens
if ‘AB’ is rotated rightwards about P? The common point R3 gradually comes
nearer and nearer to P and ultimately coincides with P. So, what we see is:
The tangent to a circle is a special case of the secant, when the two end
points of its corresponding chord coincide.
*The word ‘tangent’ comes from the Latin word ‘tangere’, which means to touch
and was introduced by the Danish mathematician Thomas Fineke in 1583.
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Activity 2 : On a paper, draw a circle and a

secant PQ of the circle. Draw various lines
parallel to the secant on both sides of it. You
will find that after some steps, the length of
the chord cut by the lines will gradually
decrease, i.e., the two points of intersection
of the line and the circle are coming closer
and closer [see Fig. 10.3(ii)]. In one case,
it becomes zero on one side of the secant
and in another case, it becomes zero on the
other side of the secant. See the positions
PQ and PQ of the secant in Fig. 10.3
(ii). These are the tangents to the circle
parallel to the given secant PQ. This also Fig. 10.3 (ii)
helps you to see that there cannot be more
than two tangents parallel to a given secant.
This activity also establishes, what you must have observed, while doing
Activity 1, namely, a tangent is the secant when both of the end points of the
corresponding chord coincide.
The common point of the tangent and the circle is called the point of
contact [the point A in Fig. 10.1 (iii)]and the tangent is said to touch the circle
at the common point.
Now look around you. Have you seen a
bicycle or a cart moving? Look at its wheels. All
the spokes of a wheel are along its radii. Now note
the position of the wheel with respect to its
movement on the ground. Do you see any
tangent anywhere? (See Fig. 10.4). In fact, the
wheel moves along a line which is a tangent to the
circle representing the wheel. Also, notice that in
all positions, the radius through the point of
contact with the ground appears to be at right Fig. 10.4
angles to the tangent (see Fig. 10.4). We shall now
prove this property of the tangent.
Theorem 10.1 : The tangent at any point of a circle is perpendicular to the
radius through the point of contact.
Proof : We are given a circle with centre O and a tangent XY to the circle at a
point P. We need to prove that OP is perpendicular to XY.

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Take a point Q on XY other than P and join OQ (see Fig. 10.5).

The point Q must lie outside the circle.
(Why? Note that if Q lies inside the circle, XY
will become a secant and not a tangent to the
circle). Therefore, OQ is longer than the radius
OP of the circle. That is,
OQ > OP.
Since this happens for every point on the
line XY except the point P, OP is the
shortest of all the distances of the point O to the
points of XY. So OP is perpendicular to XY.
(as shown in Theorem A1.7.) Fig. 10.5

Remarks :
1.By theorem above, we can also conclude that at any point on a circle there can be
one and only one tangent.
2.The line containing the radius through the point of contact is also sometimes
called the ‘normal’ to the circle at the point.

EXERCISE 10.1
1. How many tangents can a circle have?
2. Fill in the blanks :
(i) A tangent to a circle intersects it in point (s).
(ii) A line intersecting a circle in two points is called a
(iii) . A circle can have parallel tangents at the most.
(iv) The common point of a tangent to a circle and the circle is called
3. A tangent PQ at a point P of a circle of radius 5 cm meets a line through the centre O
at a point Q so that OQ = 12 cm. Length PQ is :
.
(A) 12 cm (B) 13 cm (C) 8.5 cm (D) 119 cm.
4. Draw a circle and two lines parallel to a given line such that one is a tangent and the
other, a secant to the circle.

10.3 Number of Tangents from a Point on a Circle

To get an idea of the number of tangents from a point on a circle, let us perform the
following activity:

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Activity 3 : Draw a circle on a paper. Take a

point P inside it. Can you draw a tangent to
the circle through this point? You will find
that all the lines through this point intersect
the circle in two points. So, it is not possible
to draw any tangent to a circle through a
point inside it [see Fig. 10.6 (i)].
Next take a point P on the circle and
draw tangents through this point. You have (i)
already observed that there is only one
tangent to the circle at such a point [see Fig.
10.6 (ii)].
Finally, take a point P outside the circle
and try to draw tangents to the circle from this
point. What do you observe? You will find
that you can draw exactly two tangents to
the circle through this point [see Fig. 10.6
(iii)].
We can summarise these facts as (ii)
follows:
Case 1 : There is no tangent to a circle
passing through a point lying inside the
circle.
Case 2 : There is one and only one
tangent to a circle passing through a point
lying on the circle.
Case 3 : There are exactly two
tangents to a circle through a point lying
outside the circle. (iii)

In Fig. 10.6 (iii), T1and T2 are the points Fig. 10.6

of contact of the tangents PT 1 and PT 2
Note that in Fig. 10.6 (iii), PT1 and PT2 are the lengths of the tangents from P
respectively.
to theThe
circle.
lengthTheoflengths PT1 and
the segment of PT have a common property. Can you find this?
the2 tangent
Measure
from thePT 1 and PTpoint
external 2. Are P
these
andequal? In fact,
the point of this is always so. Let us give a proof
of this fact
contact in the following
with theorem.
circle is called the length of
the tangent from the point P to the circle.

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Theorem 10.2 : The lengths of tangents drawn

from an external point to a circle are equal.
Proof : We are given a circle with centre O, a
point P lying outside the circle and two tangents
PQ, PR on the circle from P (see Fig. 10.7). We
are required to prove that PQ = PR.
For this, we join OP, OQ and OR. Then
 OQP and  ORP are right angles, because
these are angles between the radii and tangents,
and according to Theorem 10.1 they are right Fig. 10.7
angles. Now in right triangles OQP and ORP,
OQ = OR (Radii of the same circle)
OP = OP (Common)
Therefore,  OQP   (RHS)
This ORP PQ = (CPCT)
gives PR
Remarks :
1. The theorem can also be proved by using the Pythagoras Theorem as follows:
PQ2 = OP2 – OQ2 = OP2 – OR2 = PR2 (As OQ = OR)
which gives PQ = PR.
2.Note also that  OPQ =  OPR. Therefore, OP is the angle bisector of  QPR,
i.e., the centre lies on the bisector of the angle between the two tangents.
Let us take some examples.

Example 1 : Prove that in two concentric

circles, the chord of the larger circle, which
touches the smaller circle, is bisected at the
point of contact.
Solution
C1 and C 2: with
We are given
centre two aconcentric
O and chord ABcircles
of the
larger circle C1 which touches the smaller circle
C2 at the point P (see Fig. 10.8). We need to
prove that AP = BP.
Let us join OP. Then, AB is a tangent to C2 at P Fig. 10.8
and OP is its radius. Therefore, by Theorem
10.1,
OP  AB

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Now AB is a chord of the circle C1 and OP  AB. Therefore, OP is the bisector of

the
chord AB, as the perpendicular from the centre bisects the chord,
i.e., AP = BP
Example 2 : Two tangents TP and TQ are
drawn to a circle with centre O from an
external point T. Prove that  PTQ = 2 
OPQ.
Solution : We are given a circle with centre O,
an external point T and two tangents TP and TQ
to the circle, where P, Q are the points of
contact (see Fig. 10.9). We need to prove that
 PTQ = 2  OPQ Fig. 10.9

Let  PTQ = 

Now, by Theorem 10.2, TP = TQ. So, TPQ is an isosceles triangle.

Therefore, 1 1
 TPQ =  TQP = (180°
2  )  90°  
Also, by Theorem
10.1, 2
 OPT = 90°  1
So,  OPQ =  OPT –  TPQ = 90°   90° –2 
 1 1
=  
2
PTQ
This
gives 2
Example 3 : PQ is a chord of length
 PTQ8 =cm2 of a
 OPQ
circle of radius 5 cm. The tangents at P and Q
intersect at a point T (see Fig. 10.10). Find the
length TP.
Solution : Join OT. Let it intersect PQ at the
point R. Then  TPQ is isosceles and TO is the
angle bisector of  PTQ. So, OT  PQ
and therefore, OT bisects PQ which gives
PR = RQ = 4 cm.
Fig. 10.10
Also, OR = OP 2  PR 2  52  42 cm  3
cm.
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213
Now,  TPR +  RPO (Why?)
= 90° =  TPR +  PTR So,  RPO =  PTR
Therefore, right triangle TRP is similar to the
right triangle PRO by AA similarity.
TP RP TP 4 20
This = , i.e., = or TP = cm.
PO RO 5 3 3
gives
Note : TP can also be found by using the Pythagoras Theorem, as follows:
Let TP = x and TR = y.
(1)
Then
(2)
x2 = y2 + 16
32 16
(Taking
25 – 7 orPRT)
= 6y right y= 
6 3
x + 5 = (y + 3)
2 2 2 (Taking right 
2
16 16 
we16get 16 
OPT) Subtracting (1) from2 (2),
Therefore, (16  9)  [From (1)]
x =   25
3
9
 20
or x= 9
3

EXERCISE 10.2
In Q.1 to 3, choose the correct option and give justification.
1. From a point Q, the length of the tangent to a circle is 24 cm and the distance of Q
from the centre is 25 cm. The radius of the circle is
(A) 7 cm (B) 12 cm
(C) 15 (D) 24.5
2. cmIn Fig. 10.11, if TP and TQcm are the two
tangents to a circle with centre O so that 
POQ = 110°, then  PTQ is equal to
(A) 60° (B) 70°
(C) 80° (D) 90° Fig. 10.11
3. If tangents PA and PB from a point P to a circle with centre O are inclined to each
other at angle of 80°, then  POA is equal to
(A) 50° (B) 60°
(C) 70° (D) 80°

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4. Prove that the tangents drawn at the ends of a diameter of a circle are parallel.
5. Prove that the perpendicular at the point of contact to the tangent to a circle passes
through the centre.
6. The length of a tangent from a point A at distance 5 cm from the centre of the circle
is 4 cm. Find the radius of the circle.
7. Two concentric circles are of radii 5 cm and 3 cm. Find the length of the chord of the
larger circle which touches the smaller circle.
8. A quadrilateral ABCD is drawn to circumscribe a circle (see Fig. 10.12). Prove
that AB + CD = AD + BC

Fig. 10.12 Fig. 10.13

9. In Fig. 10.13, XY and XY are two parallel tangents to a circle with centre O and
another tangent AB with point of contact C intersecting XY at A and XY at B.
Prove that  AOB = 90°.
10. Prove that the angle between the two tangents drawn from an external point to a
circle is supplementary to the angle subtended by the line-segment joining the points
of contact at the centre.
11. Prove that the parallelogram circumscribing a
circle is a rhombus.
12. A triangle ABC is drawn to circumscribe a
circle of radius 4 cm such that the segments
BD and DC into which BC is divided by the
point of contact D are of lengths 8 cm and
6 cm respectively (see Fig. 10.14). Find the
sides AB and AC.
13. Prove that opposite sides of a quadrilateral
circumscribing a circle subtend
supplementary
angles at the centre of the circle. Fig. 10.14

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10.4 Summary
In this chapter, you have studied the following points :
1. The meaning of a tangent to a circle.
2. The tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius through the point of contact.
3. The lengths of the two tangents from an external point to a circle are equal.

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