Given: two distinct circles that are tangent to each other at a common point. how many tangent lines can be drawn that touch both circles?

When two circles touch each other internally 1 common tangent can be drawn to the circles. when two circles intersect in two real and distinct points, 2 common tangents can be drawn to the circles. • when two circles touch each other externally, 3 common tangents can be drawn to the circles. • when two circle neither touch nor intersect and one lies outside the other, then 4 common tangents can be drawn.