A pencil and ruler creates a line with an infinite number of points.
Segments and rays represent different types of lines. A line is a series of points extending in both directions with no end. Without an end point, lines extend indefinitely even though the line as drawn on a paper appears to stop. Within an indefinite line, many versions of segments and rays exist.
Basic Segment
The basic segment is part of a line with ending points. Assign letter names to the ending points such as B and C and you have line segment BC. It begins at point B and runs in a straight line ending at point C. In between points B and C, different points exist on the line segment with no points existing outside of the end points.
Directional Segments
Draw a line segment with a pencil and ruler on a sheet of paper and it must be a straight line with two distinct ending points. Outside of those two parameters, the line segment can travel in any direction. Draw a parallel line, a perpendicular line or a diagonal line; they all qualify as line segments. Any straight line with two end points is a line segment.
Basic Ray
The ray is a straight line that is part line and part segment and has been called a half line. It has one end point that marks the beginning of the ray. It then moves away from that end point with an indefinite line. The end point has a letter such as D and another point along the line, like E, that identifies the ray as DE. An arrow is placed over top of the DE pointing toward the E indicating the line passes through E and continues to infinity.
Directions
Rays travel in any direction with the non-endpoint designated by an arrow. Like segments, rays can be parallel, perpendicular and diagonal. Pick one end point on a sheet of paper and draw a straight line in any direction with no endpoint and you have a ray.
Tags: line segment, straight line, line with, ending points, direction with, indefinite line
