Question

What is the difference between a tangent and secant?

Answer 1

Hint: In order to write the difference between tangent and secant of a circle first of all define the both terms.
So, write the definition of both terms. Draw a circle in which CD is a tangent and AB is a secant.
Then compare the properties of tangent and secant and how they related to each other. Both the terms are related to circles so draw the circle and draw the tangent and secant, then compare both.

Complete step-by-step answer:

Difference 1.
Tangent: In geometry, the tangent at any point of a circle is defined to be a straight line which meets the circle there, but, being produced, does not cut it.
Secant: In geometry, the secant of a curve is a straight line which meets the curve at minimum two distinct points. In the case of a circle, a secant will intersect the circle at exactly two points. It cuts the circle at two points.
Difference 2.
Tangent is always perpendicular to the radius drawn from the centre to the point of contact. The distance between the centre of circle to the point of contact of tangent is always equal to radius of the circle.
In secant we have two points of intersection. The line joining the two points is chord. The perpendicular distance from the centre of a circle to the chord is always less than the radius of the circle.

Note: It should be noted that when the distance between two cut points in case of secant is decreasing, secant moves away from the centre of the circle. When this distance is zero the secant becomes the tangent of the circle.