How To Name A Line In Geometry

The line is a basic object in the study of geometry. The only object more fundamental is the point. A point is a position — it has no length, width or height. Dots are used to indicate a point in a geometry problem. Points are named with capital letters. A line in geometry is really a set of an infinite number of points connected together. Points are used to name lines in geometry.

Step 1

Draw a line. Using a pen or pencil and a straight edge such as a ruler or protractor, draw a straight line on a piece of paper. The line can be of any length. In geometry, you put arrows at each end of the line to indicate that the line goes on indefinitely.

Step 2

Draw two points on the line. Because there are an infinite number of points in a line, the points you draw can be at any place on the line. A dot indicates where a point is on the line. Name each point with a capital letter. The letters can be sequential, but do not have to be. Any two letters will do.

Step 3

Write the two letters. For example, if you chose to name the points C and L, write "CL" to name the line.

Step 4

Draw the line symbol. Over the two letters, draw the symbol for a line, which is a short line with an arrow at each end. Putting this symbol over the two letters shows that the two points indicate a line rather than some other geometric formation such as a ray.