Chord (geometry)

High school (ages 12+)
Mathematics & Numbers

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/chord-geometry

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geometric definition?A line segment connecting two points on a curve, typically a circle
2. What is the origin of term?Derived from the Latin 'chorda', meaning 'string' or 'catgut'
3. What is a chord in a circle?A chord is a straight line that connects two points on the edge of a circle. It is a segment whose endpoints lie on the circle.
4. Why is the diameter special?The diameter is a chord that passes through the center of the circle. It is the longest possible chord.

Chord: A line segment whose endpoints lie on a circle or other curve.
Secant Line: A line that intersects a curve at two or more points; an extended chord.
Diameter: The longest chord of a circle, passing through its center and connecting two diametrically opposite points.
Sagitta: The perpendicular distance from the midpoint of a chord to the arc it subtends.