In elementary-level geometry, the term that every student encounter is “line”. It is a long and straight geometric figure that extends in both the directions. It differs from a line segment in that a line segment has a starting and an ending point, due to which the length of the segment is fixed.
As you can see in the figure given above, that at both the ends of a line, an arrow is marked, to give an idea that it is infinite. On the contrary, the two ends of the line segment are marked with a circular point, which indicates that it is definite. While learning geometry, it is important for every student to understand the difference between line and line segment. So, here in this article, we are going to explain the concept, take a read.
Content: Line Vs Line Segment
Comparison Chart
| Basis for Comparison | Line | Line Segment |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Line can be described as, a one dimensional figure in geometry, that goes on endlessly. | A line segment implies a straight line which passes through two points. |
| Symbol |  |  |
| End points | No end points. | It has two end points. |
| Length | Indefinite | Definite |
| Drawn on paper | No | Yes |
Definition of Line
A line can be understood as a straight, infinite, long, continuous path, that is characterised with arrowheads, showing that the line moves in the two directions endlessly. It is a one-dimensional geometric figure, as it has only length and no width and depth. Usually, a line is denoted by a small letter ‘l’.
As you can see in the above figure, there are arrowheads on both the sides. It is denoted by: 
Definition of Line Segment
A line segment is a small section of a line. There are two points, through which the line segment passes and indicates that the line segment has a definite beginning and end. So, it can be said that it is the shortest path between two given points which makes the measurement of the segment easier with the help of a ruler. It is also a one-dimensional figure as a line, which has only length.
The figure shown above is a line segment wherein length is represented by AB. The line segment is denoted by: 
Key Differences Between Line and Line Segment
The difference between line and line segment, are discussed in the points given below:
- The line refers to a straight and long mark on a surface, represented by arrows at each end showing that it extends in the two directions, endlessly. On the other hand, Segment implies a piece of something, so does the line segment means a portion of a line, which has a distinct starting and end.
- While a line segment starts at one point and ends at another one, there are no endpoints in a line.
- When it comes to length, the length of a line is infinite, which cannot be measured. Conversely, as the line segment has two endpoints, its length can be measured easily.
- A line segment can be drawn on a paper, whereas a line cannot be drawn on a paper it can only be represented.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, a line segment is one that has two endpoints, which when extended in both the directions infinitely, then that would be called as a line. Simply put, there are no endpoints in a line, on any of its sides. Both can be parallel, intersecting or skew.
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