Secant a line that intersects a circle at two points.

SE is a secant line

Intersecting Secant Angles Theorem

The angle made by two secants intersecting outside a circle is half
the difference between the intercepted arc measures.
Try this In the figure below, drag the orange dots to reposition the secants.
Note how the angles are related. (Note: The angles are rounded off to whole
numbers for clarity).
See also Intersecting Secant Lengths Theorem.
When two secants intersect outside a circle, there are three angle measures
involved:

1. The angle made where they intersect (angle APB above)

2. The angle made by the intercepted arc CD
3. The angle made by the intercepted arc AB

This theorem states that the angle APB is half the difference of the
other two. Stated more formally:
P =COD AOB
2

This is read as "The measure of the angle P is the measure of the arc CD
minus the measure of the arc AB divided by 2"
Recall that the measure of an arc is the angle it makes at the center of the
circle. To see this more clearly, click on "show central angles" in the diagram
above. For more on this seeAngle measure of an arc.

It works for tangents too

The theorem still holds if one or both secants is a tangent. In the figure above,
drag point C to the right until it meets A. The top line is now a tangent to the
circle, and points A and C are in the same location. But the theorem still holds
using the measures of the arcs CD and AB in the same way as before.
Make both lines into tangents in this way, and convince yourself the theorem
still works.