EngageNY
Equations for Tangent Lines to Circles
Don't go off on a tangent while writing equations of tangent lines! Scholars determine the equations for tangent lines to circles. They attempt both concrete and abstract examples, such as a tangent line to the unit circle through (p, 0).
Curated OER
Tangent Lines and the Radius of a Circle
Your Geometry learners will collaboratively prove that the tangent line of a circle is perpendicular to the radius of the circle. A deliberately sparse introduction allows for a variety of approaches to find a solution.
EngageNY
Tangent Lines and the Tangent Function
Construct tangent lines and make the connection to tangent functions. An informative lesson reviews the geometry origins of the tangent function. Pupils use that information to determine how to construct a tangent to a circle from a...
Texas Instruments
Drawing a Line Tangent to a Circle
Explore lines tangent to a circle. In this math lesson, students manipulate circles and lines on a TI calculator. They draw a circle and analyze perpendicular lines intersecting the circle in only one place. This activity works best if...
Illustrative Mathematics
Tangent to a Circle From a Point
Learners see application of construction techniques in a short but sophisticated problem. Combining the properties of inscribed triangles with tangent lines and radii makes a nice bridge between units, a way of using information about...
EngageNY
Properties of Tangents
You know about the tangent function, but what are tangent lines to a circle? Learners investigate properties of tangents through constructions. They determine that tangents are perpendicular to the radius at the point of tangency, and...
EngageNY
The Inscribed Angle Alternate – A Tangent Angle
You know the Inscribed Angle Theorem and you know about tangent lines; now let's consider them together! Learners first explore angle measures when one of the rays of the angle is a tangent to a circle. They then apply their newfound...
EngageNY
Why Call It Tangent?
Discover the relationship between tangent lines and the tangent function. Class members develop the idea of the tangent function using the unit circle. They create tables of values and explore the domain, range, and end behavior of the...
Texas Instruments
Exploring Tangents
Explore the concept of tangent lines. In this tangent line lesson, learners graph a circle and two lines on their graphing calculator using Cabri Jr. Students construct the lines so that they both intersect at a given point and are both...
Curated OER
Circles Terminology Multiple Choice
In this circles activity, high schoolers solve 10 multiple choice problems. Students answer questions about diameter and chord relationships, tangent lines to a circle, circumference, the Pi relationship, etc.
Curated OER
Tangents Multiple Choice
For this circles worksheet, students solve 10 multiple choice problems. Students use a diagram of a circle with tangent lines and segment bisectors to answer each question. Students find unknown segment lengths using the given information.
Illustrative Mathematics
Two Wheels and a Belt
Geometry gets an engineering treatment in an exercise involving a belt wrapped around two wheels of different dimensions. Along with the wheels, this belt problem connects concepts of right triangles, tangent lines, arc length, and...
EngageNY
Tangent Segments
What's so special about tangents? Learners first explore how if a circle is tangent to both rays of an angle, then its center is on the angle bisector. They then complete a set of exercises designed to explore further properties and...
EngageNY
Similar Triangles in Circle-Secant (or Circle-Secant-Tangent) Diagrams
First angle measures, now segment lengths. High schoolers first measure segments formed by secants that intersect interior to a circle, secants that intersect exterior to a circle, and a secant and a tangent that intersect exterior to a...
Curated OER
Tangent Lines
In this tangent lines worksheet, 10th graders solve and complete 13 various types of problems. First, they solve the right triangles for the variables shown. Then, students name a radius, a diameter, a tangent, a secant, a point of...
Mt. San Antonio Collage
Circles
Don't circle around the topic, but get right to the center with tons of practice regarding circles in geometry. The note-incorporated learning exercise provides guided practice through many topics such as central angles, inscribed...
Mathed Up!
Area and Circumference of Circles
Don't go around and around, help your class determine amounts around and in a circle with a video that connects circumference to the perimeter or the distance around an object. The resource includes 14 questions dealing with circles and...
Inside Mathematics
Circles in Triangles
Challenge the class with inscribed circles in triangles. The assessment task requests class members use their knowledge of circles and right triangles to prove two triangles are congruent. They go on to utilize their knowledge of...
Mathed Up!
Circle Theorems
Explore theorems involving circles. Individuals watch a video that reviews the basic parts of a circle. They learn about circle theorems and compete a activity of problems that use these theorems — putting their skills to work right away!
Concord Consortium
Bicycle Chain
Model a bicycle chain with circles and tangent lines. Given the dimensions of the sprocket wheels, young scholars calculate the length of the chain that surrounds them. A second task has learners write a function for the length of a...
Curated OER
Circles
In this circles worksheet, 10th graders solve and complete 13 various types of problems. First, they solve each set of triangles for the given variable. Then, students name a radius, a diameter, a tangent, a secant, a point of tangency,...
Virginia Department of Education
Angles, Arcs, and Segments in Circles
Investigate relationships between angles, arcs, and segments in circles. Pupils use geometry software to discover the relationships between angles, arcs, and segments associated with circles. Class members use similar triangles to...
EngageNY
Secant Lines; Secant Lines That Meet Inside a Circle
Young mathematicians identify different cases of intersecting secant lines. They then investigate the case where secant lines meet inside a circle.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Circles in Triangles
Circles, and triangles, and tangents, oh my! In the assessment task, learners first answer questions leading to the radius of an inscribed circle for a given right triangle. They then use the result to independently determine the radius...