Tangent lines and circles

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Guest
I need help with this problem. It says:
Discover and prove a theorem about two lines tangent to a circle at the endpoints of a diameter.

Can anyone help me please? I am so horrible at geometry!
 
Here is a huge hint:
Tangents to a circle are perpendicular to any diameteral segment from the point of tangency.
What about lines that are perpendicular to the same line?
 
We are not able to teach a complete course here online!
If you fail to understand that hint, you need some real tutorial help.
We just cannot give that extensive help here.
I for one, unlike some here, will not just give you an outright answer.
 
BuryMe said:
I need help with this problem. It says:
Discover and prove a theorem about two lines tangent to a circle at the endpoints of a diameter.

Can anyone help me please? I am so horrible at geometry!
Click to expand...

1) Draw a circle
2) Draw a diameter of the circle
3) At each endpoint of the diameter, draw a line tangent to the circle

Now look carefully at the diagram you drew. What appears to be true about the two tangent lines you drew? Can you prove this must always be true (see pka's nice hints!!)
 
Hi Bury Me ( wow, it sounds like you desperate)....well, I just finished a session on circle geometry , and I know that one of the properties of tangents is that they are perpendicular( which means they form a right angle to) the end points of the diameter, otherwise known as the radii( funny word eh?). So, in order to prove that ( I hate proofs by the way :D ), it might be helpful to connect the radius with the tangent line so that they form triangles,. Since the two radii are equl to each other and the tangents to the circle are equal, and you know that a 90 degree angle is formed out of both lines, then you could just use the SAS theroum( sorry, i can't spell :lol: ) I hope that makes sense....good luck....smiles
 
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