Question

______ number of tangents can be drawn to a circle from the point outside the circle.

Options

• 2

• 1

• one and only one

• 0

Answer 1

2 number of tangents can be drawn to a circle from the point outside the circle.

Explanation:

From an external point P, any tangent PA meets the radius OA at a right angle. There are exactly two points on the circle where the radius is perpendicular to a line through P (one on each side of OP), so two distinct tangents can be drawn from P.