Question

Write the number of endpoints in
A) a line segment AB
B) a ray
C) a line AB

Answer 1

Hint: Here we use the definitions of a line segment, a line and a ray to find the number of fixed points. Fixed point is a point where any of the line segments, ray etc end.
* Line segment: A line segment is a piece of a line having two fixed end points. The length of line segment is the distance between the two fixed end points.
* Ray: A ray is a part of a line that has one fixed end point. So it has a starting point but has no end point as it can be extended to one direction infinitely.
* Line: A line is a straight one dimensional figure that extends infinitely on both sides. So a line has no fixed end points.

Complete step-by-step answer:
We have to write the number of endpoints in each of the three cases. We solve each case separately.
(a) A line segment AB
We draw a line segment AB. One fixed end point is A and one fixed end point is B.

Line segment AB has 2 endpoints.
(b) A ray
We draw a line ray OA. One fixed end point is A and the other side of the ray extends infinitely.

Ray AO has 1 endpoint.
(c) A line AB
We draw a line AB. Points A and B are just some points on the line but are not the fixed points.

Line AB has 0 endpoints.

Note: Students can many times make mistakes in writing the number of end points of line AB as 2, but this is wrong as A and B are not the end points, they are just points represented on the line that extends to both sides.