A tangent is a line that touches a circle at exactly one point. This single point of contact between the tangent and the circle is known as the point of tangency.
To solve the question of whether the tangent is perpendicular, parallel, or congruent to the radius at the point of tangency, let's analyze the concepts:
1. Perpendicular:
- By definition, a tangent at a point on a circle is perpendicular to the radius drawn to that point. This means that the angle between the radius and the tangent line at the point of tangency is 90 degrees.
2. Parallel:
- A tangent can never be parallel to the radius at the point of tangency because parallel lines never intersect, whereas the radius and tangent intersect precisely at the point of tangency.
3. Congruent:
- The term "congruent" is generally used to describe figures that are of the same shape and size. Since we are comparing a line segment (radius) with a straight line (tangent), the concept of congruency does not apply here.
Based on this analysis, the correct answer is:
Option A. Perpendicular
The tangent is perpendicular to the radius that shares the point of tangency.
