{
  "aliases": null,
  "backlinks": null,
  "body": "\n## Definition\n\nLet $C$ be a [[circle|060W5CBZP6]] in the Euclidean plane $\\mathbb{R}^2$, and let $T$ be a point of $C$.\nA [[line|0MP9BCF6DP]] $\\ell$ is tangent to $C$ at $T$ if $\\ell \\cap C = \\{T\\}$. The point $T$ is the point of tangency.\n\n## Remarks\n\nA line meets a circle in two points, in one point or in no point. A line with two common points is a secant line.\nFor the circle $(x - a)^2 + (y - b)^2 = r^2$ and a point $(x_1, y_1)$ on it, the tangent at this point has the equation $(x - x_1)(x_1 - a) + (y - y_1)(y_1 - b) = 0$.\nThe tangent at $T$ is the line through $T$ perpendicular to the radius to $T$. See [[a tangent is perpendicular to the radius|031JV5S54D]].\nFrom a point outside the circle there are exactly two tangent lines to the circle.\n\n## Explanations\n\n### L1 human\n\nA tangent line just touches a circle at one point and stays outside the circle. For the unit circle, the line $y = 1$ is tangent at $(0, 1)$. The line $y = 0$ is not tangent: it meets the circle at $(1, 0)$ and at $(-1, 0)$.\n",
  "commit": "f591989ed15704e9d8755a7a5a6426d73de7a3ae",
  "front": {
    "defines": "0T7DX8NY1X",
    "kind": "definition",
    "msc": [
      "51M04"
    ],
    "name": "Tangent line to a circle",
    "sources": [
      {
        "locator": "Tangent lines to one circle",
        "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangent_lines_to_circles"
      },
      {
        "locator": "Cartesian equation",
        "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangent_lines_to_circles"
      }
    ],
    "tag": "0C6THFRMZR",
    "uses": [
      "060W5CBZP6",
      "0MP9BCF6DP"
    ]
  },
  "kind": "definition",
  "link": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/0C6THFRMZR/",
  "links": [
    {
      "field": "defines",
      "target": "0T7DX8NY1X"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "060W5CBZP6"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0MP9BCF6DP"
    }
  ],
  "markdown": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/0C6THFRMZR.md",
  "msc": [
    "51M04"
  ],
  "name": "Tangent line to a circle",
  "prov": null,
  "role": "",
  "source": "https://github.com/tamnd/math2/blob/main/nodes/0C6/0C6THFRMZR.md",
  "status": null,
  "tag": "0C6THFRMZR",
  "uri": "m2://0C6THFRMZR",
  "url": "https://math2.tamnd.com/wiki/tangent-line-to-a-circle-definition/",
  "writing": {
    "tag": "0C6THFRMZR",
    "kind": "definition",
    "level": "W1",
    "next": [
      {
        "what": "edge instance_of in",
        "note": "one example",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      },
      {
        "what": "edge not_instance_of in",
        "note": "one non-example that fails one clause",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}
