BASIC GEOMETRICAL IDEAS

Key Points
1. A point determines a location. It has neither length nor breadth nor height.
2. The shortest distance between two points gives a line segment. The line segment joining
points A and B is denoted by AB .
3. A straight line extends indefinitely in both directions. It has no definite length.
4. If two lines have one common point, they are called intersecting lines. The common point
is called their point of intersection.
5. Two lines are said to be parallel if they do not meet.
6. A ray is a portion of a line. It starts at one point (called starting point) and goes endlessly

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in one direction.

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7. A curve is said to be closed if its ends are joined, otherwise it is said to be open.
8.
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A closed figure made up entirely of line segments is called a polygon.

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9. In a polygon :
(i) the line segments are sides of the polygon.
(ii) any two sides with a common end point are adjacent sides.

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(iii) the meeting point of a pair of sides is called a vertex.
(iv) the end points of the same side are adjacent vertices.
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(v) the join of any two non-adjacent vertices is a diagonal.
10. An angle is a figure formed by two rays with the same initial point. The common initial
point is called the vertex of the angle and the rays forming the angle are called its arms
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or sides.
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11. A three sided polygon is called a triangle.

12. A four sided polygon is called a quadrilateral. It has four vertices, four sides, four angles
and two diagonals.

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13. A circle is a closed curve, all points on which are at the same distance from a fixed point
inside it. The fixed point is called the centre of the circle.
14. The line segment joining the centre to any point on the circle is called the radius of the
circle.
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15. A line segment joining any two points on a circle is called a chord of the circle.
16. A chord passing through the centre of a circle is a diameter of the circle. A diameter is the
longest chord of a circle.
17. Length of a diameter is twice the radius of the circle.
18. A line intersecting a circle at two distinct points is called a secant of the circle.
19. An arc is a portion of the circle.
20. A region in the interior of a circle enclosed by an arc on one side and a pair of radii on
the other two sides is called a sector of the circle.
21. A region in the interior of a circle enclosed by a chord and an arc is called a segment of
the circle.
22. The distance around a circle is its circumference.
23. A diameter of a circle divides it into two equal parts, each part is a semi-circle.