how many common points do two intersecting straight lines can have.
How many common points do two intersecting straight lines can have?
When two distinct straight lines intersect, they can have only one common point. This is one of the fundamental properties of lines in geometry. No matter how the lines are arranged or their slopes, they will always intersect at a single point.
To understand why two lines can have only one common point of intersection, let’s consider the definition of a line. A line can be defined as a collection of infinite points that lie in a straight path. When two lines intersect, they share a single point where their paths cross.
Think of it like this: if two lines had more than one intersection point, it would mean that there are two different paths that these lines follow. But since lines are defined as having an infinite number of points in a straight path, it is not possible for two different paths to exist. Therefore, two intersecting lines can only have one common point.
It is worth noting that if two lines are parallel and do not intersect at any point, they have no common points. Similarly, if two lines are coincident (meaning they lie on top of each other), they have infinite common points because all the points on one line are also on the other line.
In summary, the common point of intersection for two distinct intersecting lines is always one, as determined by their paths crossing.