Question

What is a secant line?

Answer 1

Hint: To know what a secant line is, we need to know what does secant means. Secant is a line which cuts the curve in at least two distinct points. In the below description, we will show the full explanation with a diagram showing secant line.

Complete step-by-step answer:
In the above question, we are asked to shed some light on the secant line. So, a secant line is a line which cuts any curve in two or more than two distinct points.
In the below figure, we have shown a curve (which is a circle) and a line (which is the secant line) cutting the curve in 2 distinct points.

In the above figure, CD is the secant to the circle with centre O and this secant cuts the circle into two distinct points A and E.
Let us draw another curve in which we are showing the secant is cutting the curve in more than 2 distinct points.

In the above figure, the curve is a sine function and the secant AB is cutting the curve in three distinct points which are (C, D and E).
Hence, in the above we have described what a secant line is along with some illustrations.

Note: Generally, people have a concept about a secant line that it cuts the curve in only two distinct points but this is not the case always. In the above solution also, in one of the examples, we have shown that secant is cutting the curve in three distinct points so make sure you have the clear definition of the secant line.