MathematicsClass 6Basic Geometrical Ideas
Rays and Curves
Understanding rays as lines with one endpoint and identifying open versus closed curves.
Class 6 · MathematicsCBSE & ICSE
Definition
A ray is a portion of a line that starts at one point and extends endlessly in one direction. A curve is a continuous, smooth path formed by moving a pencil without lifting it from the paper. Curves can be classified as simple or non-simple, and open or closed.
Worked examples
1
A beam of light coming out from a torch represents a ray.
2
A drawing made with a continuous sweep of the pencil without intersections is a simple curve.
3
A circle is a simple closed curve.
Common mistakes
- • Confusing a ray with a line segment by thinking a ray has two endpoints.
- • Assuming that all curves must be wavy and that straight lines cannot be curves.