Tangent
Definition
A tangent line is a straight line that touches a curve at only one point and has the same slope as the curve at that point.
Analogy
Imagine you're walking on a curvy path in a park, and suddenly you want to take a shortcut across it. The shortest route would be to walk in such a way that your path just grazes (touches) the curvy path without deviating too much from it - this grazing path would be similar to drawing a tangent line on the curve.
Related terms
Derivative: The derivative represents the slope of the tangent line to a curve at any given point.
Normal Line: The normal line is perpendicular to the tangent line and passes through the same point on the curve.
Secant Line: A secant line intersects with two points on a curve, while passing through other points between them.
"Tangent" appears in:
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