Question

is the following statement a good definition? a common tangent to two circles is a line tangent to both of them. yes no submit

Explanation:

A good definition should be clear, precise, and not circular. The statement "A common tangent to two circles is a line tangent to both of them" simply restates the term "common tangent" using the concept of a tangent to both circles, which is a circular definition (it defines the term using the term itself in essence). A proper definition should explain the concept without relying on the term being defined in the definition. So this is not a good definition.

Answer:

no