Difference between Line and Line Segment

Geometry is an investigation of geometrical figures. All shapes we can see in geometry are created by joining various lines. Lines are the result of the accumulation of points. The interplay between lines, points, and shapes makes studying geometrical figures equally fascinating. The article also examines the same subject of geometrical representations, including details regarding lines, points, and line segments and their characteristics. The intention of the article is to highlight the differences between a line and a line segment.

Points

Points are the basic building blocks of any form of a geometrical figure. The geometrical shapes that have been drawn up to date are the result of innumerable points. Points are structures that lack dimensions. They don't have length, breadth, or height. They are represented by dots (.). The joining of dots aids in creating a form.

Lines

Lines are geometrical forms that have non-terminating endings. Lines run in opposite directions indefinitely. The points of lines can be extended until infinity. Lines are generally denoted or symbolized by any two points that lie along the line.

Line properties:

• A line can extend to infinity both ways. This means that it has an unlimited length.
• They are not made up of ends.
• The line can be described as a single-dimensional geometrical shape, meaning that it is only length, but it has no width or thickness.
• At any time, two lines that intersect one another will intersect at one common point.

Line Segments

When a line is split, these divisions are referred to as line segments that have two defined endpoints. They are parts of the line which connect two points on it. A line segment is divided into two ends, in which all points between the two ends are incorporated into that line segment.

The properties of a line segment-

• A line segment isn't an entire line, but it is a fragment of a line having two distinct ends.
• A line segment is made up of two fixed ends.
• Line segment length can be measured as long as it has fixed ends.
• A line segment is symbolized by the letter '_.'

The primary distinction between line and line segments is that lines extend in both directions indefinitely, while lines have two ends. In the first grade of geometry, the word that students come across is 'line.'

A line is a simple geometric shape that extends in both directions. However, a line segment contains two defined ends. The figures are different from rays, which have one endpoint but extend infinitely in one direction.

It is important for people to understand the differences between these terminologies.

Table of differences between line and line segments-

Conclusion

The difference between a line segment and a line is that a line is a straight line, while a segment is part of a straight line. The line is two-dimensional, while the line segment and ray are one-dimensional. Ray does not have an endpoint but can be divided by connecting them with another figure. But line segments and rays cannot pass through three-dimensional objects.

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

Q1: What is a line?

Answer 1: A line is a one-dimensional figure which extends indefinitely in both directions. A straight line with two arrowheads represents it. It has only one dimension, i.e., length.

Q2: What is a line segment?

Answer 2: A line segment is a type of line that is defined between two definite endpoints. The distance between any two fixed points on a line denotes a line segment.

Q3: What is the line ray?

Answer 3: A ray is a line with one endpoint, and the other extends indefinitely. It is represented by one endpoint and another end by an arrowhead.

Q4: What is the difference between a line and a point?

Answer 4: A line has one dimension, the length, and a point is a dimensionless quantity. A straight line represents a line, and a dot denotes a point.