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Difference Between Line And Line Segment, Types, Important Facts

Difference Between Line And Line Segment : Read everything you need to know about the line and line segment. Learn the key difference between line and line segment and other geometric figures.
authorImageShrivastav 17 Jan, 2024
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Difference Between Line And Line Segment

Difference Between Line And Line Segment : Terms like point, line, rays, segments, angles, etc. are often used in geometry. The most often-used phrase in your geometry textbook is the line. We will discuss the difference between line and line segment.

A line may be extended in both directions indefinitely, while a line segment has two ends. This is the main difference between line and line segment . A line segment has two distinct endpoints, while a line is a basic geometric shape that extends in both directions. A ray, which has just one terminal and may extend infinitely in one direction, is not like any of the figures. It is important that the students understand how these two terms differ from one another. This article provides a brief explanation of the difference between line and line segment. Achieve JEE excellence with PW JEE Online Course . Join now to fulfill your engineering dreams! Before We discuss the difference between line and line segment, let’s first discuss their meanings and their characteristics.

What is a Point?

The fundamental building components of every geometric shape are called points. Numerous points are the ones used to create the geometric forms that have been created up to this point. Points are dimensionless structures. They don't have length, breadth, or height. Dots (.) are used to symbolize them. Shape formation is helped by the connecting of dots.

Definition of a Line

The geometric shape with non-terminating ends is called a line. A line extends infinitely in both directions. A line may be stretched to infinity at both points. Any two points lying on a line may be used to roughly represent or identify a line.

Properties of a Line

  • A line may go in both directions to infinity. This indicates that its length is infinite.
  • They don't consist of ends.
  • The line is a single-dimensional geometric form, which means that it has no breadth or thickness and is merely length.
  • Two lines that intersect one another will always do so at a single common point.

Types of Lines

The four types of lines that you are likely familiar with are: Horizontal line: it is straight from left to right. Vertical lines: They extend straight up and down. Perpendicular lines: two straight lines are considered perpendicular to one another when they cross at a right angle. Parallel lines: No matter how many extensions two lines get, they are parallel to one another if they never cross or intersect.

Definition of a Line Segment

Line segments with two determined ends are the divisions formed when a line is split. These are segments of the line that connect two nearby points. Any point between the two ends of a line segment is included in the line segment that splits into two ends.
  • Properties of a Line Segment

  • A line segment is a fractional part of a line having two separate ends rather than the whole line.
  • There are two fixed ends in a line segment.
  • Because a line segment has definite endpoints, its length can be measured.
  • A line segment is symbolically represented by ‘_’

Methods of Naming of Line Segment

Two typical methods are used to name line segments: Line Segment Naming Based on Endpoints Since it connects the two points, A and B, in this method, the line segment is AB. It is important to keep in mind that points are often denoted with capital letters. Thus, a line segment must be written as line segment AB. The two letters, AB, are separated by a bar or a thin line, which indicates that they are a line segment. Using a Single Letter to Name a Line Segment In this kind of naming, a single, tiny letter—such as a, b, or c—is used to denote the section. Small letters are used in this font to identify the sides of polygons and triangles. Looking For Best Books for the JEE Exam Preparation?

Important Key Difference Between Line and Line Segment

Knowing the difference between line and line segment is important for all primary students. A few of the differences are listed below in the table:
Difference Between Line and Line Segment
Particular Line Line Segment
Definition Geometrical figure formed from infinitely many points Distance between two fixed endpoints
Starting/Ending Points No starting or ending point, extends to infinity Two fixed endpoints
Measurement Cannot be measured, extends to infinity Measurable length since it has two fixed ends
Denotation Any two points on a line Denoted as AB, horizontal line with arrow marks above AB
Characteristics Boundless, straight, continuous A small part of the line, represented as AB with no arrow marks

Interesting Facts Related to the Difference Between Line and Line Segment

  • The idea of a line was first established by the Greek mathematician Euclid, who is referred to as the Father of Geometry. It is, in his words, "a breadthless length."
  • Geometric figures without endpoints but with a beginning point are called rays. It stretches in one direction indefinitely.
  • If three or more points are on the same line, they are referred to as collinear points.
  • Two specified points can only be crossed by one line.
  • One-dimensional shapes are lines and line segments.

Difference Between Line And Line Segment FAQs

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