A secant line can intersect a circle at:

A secant line is defined as a line that intersects a circle at two distinct points. This occurs because the secant extends infinitely in both directions and enters the circumference of the circle at two separate locations. This is a fundamental property of secants in relation to circles.

To visualize this, imagine a circle drawn on a plane. When a secant line approaches the circle, it first crosses the boundary of the circle at one point and continues until it exits through another point on the opposite side. Therefore, the two points of intersection are what characterize a secant line.

Other options do not represent the characteristics of a secant accurately. A secant cannot intersect a circle at just one point (which would be a tangent), nor can it intersect at three points, or no points at all. These situations would involve different types of lines or configurations. Hence, identifying that a secant line intersects a circle specifically at two distinct points is essential for understanding the relationships between lines and circles in geometry.