what is a chord in a circle

A chord in a circle is a straight line segment whose two endpoints lie on the circle’s circumference.

Quick Scoop

• A chord joins any two points on the edge of a circle.

• The diameter is a special chord that passes through the center and is the longest chord in the circle.

• A radius is not a chord, because it starts at the center and touches the circle at only one point.

A tiny mental picture

Imagine drawing a circle on paper.

• Pick any two points on the rim and draw a straight line between them: that segment is a chord.

• If your line goes exactly through the center, you’ve drawn the diameter , the longest possible chord.

TL;DR: A chord in a circle is any straight line segment whose endpoints are on the circle, and the diameter is just the biggest chord that goes through the center.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.