10.

7 Special Segments in Circles

def – chord – segment joining 2 points on circle

def – secant – line which contains a chord of a circle
def – secant segment – segment which contains a chord of a circle and
has one endpoint outside the circle
def – external secant segment – the part of a secant segment outside circle
def – tangent – line which intersects circle in exactly one point
def – tangent segment – segment which is part of a tangent line
where one endpoint is point of tangency

ex 1 When two chords intersect in a circle the product of the parts of one chord equals
the product of the parts of the other. B

PARTS = PARTS A
6.0 cm
AX ∙ XH = DX ∙ XB X

(AX) ∙ (7.5) = (3.5) ∙ (6)

3.5 cm
(7.5) ∙ (AX) = 21 D 7.5 cm

AX = 2.8

ex 2 When secant segments and/or tangent segments intersect outside a circle the
products of the exterior lengths and entire lengths are equal.
OUT∙WHOLE = OUT∙WHOLE
6
4 ∙ (4 + x) = 6 ∙ 6
16 + 4x = 36
4x = 20 x
4
x=5
ex 3
4 out ∙ whole = out ∙ whole
6
6∙ (4 + 6) = 5∙ (5 + x)
5 6 ∙ 10 = 5∙(5 + x)
x 60 = 25 + 5x
35 = 5x
7= x

ex 4 A contractor is building an arched doorway which is 10 feet wide. To plan for his
framing, he will draw a circle by attaching string to a nail and a pencil. What radius must
he use to create an opening which reaches a width of 10 feet at a point 2.5 feet from
the ceiling?
2.5 ft 2.5 ft
10 feet 5 ft 5 ft
r
x ft
parts = parts
2.5 ∙ x = 5 ∙ 5
2.5 x = 25
x = 10

If x = 10 then the diameter = 12.5 ft. That makes the radius 6.25 ft.