How to prove that the tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius drawn to the point of contact?

Let $O$ be the centre of the circle, let $\ell$ be a tangent line, and let $P$ be the point of tangency. Suppose that $OP$ is not perpendicular to $\ell$. Draw the line through $O$ which is perpendicular to $\ell$. Then this line meets $\ell$ at a point $Q\ne P$.

Note that $Q$ is outside the circle. Now consider the triangle $OQP$. This is right-angled at $Q$. So $OP$ is the hypotenuse of this triangle, and is therefore bigger than $OQ$. But this is impossible: since $Q$ is outside the circle, we must have $OP\lt OQ$.


Suppose $\Gamma$ is a circle centered at $O$. Let $\ell$ be a line tangent to $\Gamma$ at a point $A$. Suppose the line from $O$ perpendicular to $\ell$ meets $\ell$ at a point $B$. If $B\neq A$, then there exists a point $C$ on $\ell$ on the other side of $B$ from $A$ such that $AB\cong BC$. (This follows from Hilbert's first axiom of congruence for line segments.)

By the side-angle-side theorem, $\triangle OBA\cong\triangle OBC$, and thus $OA\cong OC$. Thus $C\in\Gamma$. But $C\neq A$, a contradiction, since the tangent line $\ell$ can only meet $\Gamma$ at one point by definition of tangency. Thus $B=A$. Thus $\ell\perp OA$.


By using derivatives, slope of tangent at any point is -x/y. Slope of radius is y/x, which is negative reciprocal of slope of tangent. Therefore, angle OAQ is 90 degrees, because, straight lines whose slopes are negative reciprocals of each other are perpendicular

By using derivatives, slope of tangent at any point is -x/y. Slope of radius is y/x, which is negative reciprocal of slope of tangent. Therefore, angle OAQ is 90 degrees, because, straight lines whose slopes are negative reciprocals of each other are perpendicular