How do you draw a line tangent to a circle?

To draw a line tangent to a circle, find the point of tangency and draw a perpendicular line to the radius.

To start, identify the centre of the circle and the radius. The radius is the line segment from the centre of the circle to any point on its circumference. Next, choose the point on the circle where you want the tangent line to touch. This point is called the point of tangency.

Now, draw the radius that connects the centre of the circle to the point of tangency. The tangent line will be perpendicular to this radius at the point of tangency. Using a protractor or a set square, draw a line at a 90-degree angle to the radius at the point of tangency. This new line is your tangent line, and it will touch the circle at exactly one point without crossing it.

If you need to draw a tangent from a point outside the circle, first draw a line from the external point to the centre of the circle. Then, use a compass to draw a circle with the same radius as the original circle, centred at the external point. The points where this new circle intersects the original circle are the points of tangency. Draw lines from the external point to these points of tangency, and these lines will be the tangents to the original circle.