Line Segment Definition

In Geometry, it is a small part of the whole line. A Line Segment is a particular section of a line with a fixed starting and ending point. We can say that it is the distance between two points of any line.

Note:

Read about Geometry here.

Representation of a line segment

The representation of a line segment is different from the representation of the whole line. We denote the whole line by writing an arrow with both ends closed just above the name of the line.

On the other hand, a line segment is represented by showing a bar without ending points just above the name of the line. For example, a line segment AB will be represented as (AB) ̅.

What is the difference between a line segment and a line?

It is important to know the difference between a line and a line segment. As mentioned above, a line segment is any part of the whole line. But what is a line? A line is a set of points connected with each other and extending in opposite directions.

The representation of a line is also different from a line segment. On the other side, a line segment is taken from the complete line with both ends closed.

Note:

Read about a Parallel Line here.

How to find the length of a line segment?

As mentioned above, a line segment has fixed starting and ending points. So, we can find the length of this type of line using the “Distance Formula”.

Note:

You can read about Distance Formula here.

Here is the formula through which we can find the length of a line segment.

D = √(〖〖(x〗_2- x_1)〗^2+ 〖〖(y〗_2- y_1)〗^2 )

Here, the “x” and “y” coordinates are shown on the right side of the equation. To find the length, we only have to insert the values of those points.

FAQ's

What is a line segment simple definition?

It is the smallest part of any line that has both starting and ending points.

How to identify a line segment?

If a patch is taken from a specific line, it will be termed a line segment. We can also say that if a small line has both starting and ending points, it will be a line segment.

How many line segments can be drawn in a line?

We can draw unlimited line segments from a line depending on its length.

Are line segments and rays the same?

No, a line segment is different from a ray. A line segment has both ends while a ray has only a starting point with no ending point.

How to find the midpoint of a line segment?

To find the midpoint, we only have to add the starting and ending points and then divide the resultant by 2.