Eta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greek alphabet
Αα	Alpha	Νν	Nu
Ββ	Beta	Ξξ	Xi
Γγ	Gamma	Οο	Omicron
Δδ	Delta	Ππ	Pi
Εε	Epsilon	Ρρ	Rho
Ζζ	Zeta	Σσ	Sigma
Ηη	Eta	Ττ	Tau
Θθ	Theta	Υυ	Upsilon
Ιι	Iota	Φφ	Phi
Κκ	Kappa	Χχ	Chi
Λλ	Lambda	Ψψ	Psi
Μμ	Mu	Ωω	Omega
Other letters
Ϝϝ	Digamma	Ϟϟ	Koppa
Ϛϛ	Stigma	Ϡϡ	Sampi
Ͱͱ	Heta	Ϸϸ	Sho
Ϻϻ	San

Eta (which looks like Η in uppercase and η in lowercase) is an important letter from the Greek alphabet. Imagine it like one of the letters in our own alphabet!

Long, long ago, when Greek writing first started, Eta was used for a sound like "h". But later, in Classical Greek, it changed to be a long "e" sound, like the "e" in "see". Today, in Modern Greek, it's pronounced more like the "i" in "ski".

In the special system of Greek numerals, Eta has a value of 8. Some letters in other alphabets actually came from Eta, like the Roman letter H that we use, and the Cyrillic letter И which is used in languages like Russian.

What is Eta Used For?

Eta isn't just a letter; it's also used in different areas of science and mathematics!

Eta in Math and Science

• In mathematics, the small letter η (lowercase eta) helps represent something called the Dirichlet eta function. This is a special kind of mathematical tool.
• In cosmology, which is the study of the universe, η can stand for "conformal time". This is a way to measure time in a special way when talking about the universe's expansion.
• When we talk about telecommunications, like how well a signal travels, η can represent efficiency. This shows how much of the original signal gets through.
• In economics, which is about how people make choices with money and resources, η can mean elasticity. This helps explain how much something changes when other things change, like how much people buy if prices go up.

Related Pages

• Heta

Images for kids

• 

  This old piece of pottery shows Eta (heta) being used for the "h" sound. It's from a vote against Megacles in 487 BC. You can see it at the Ancient Agora Museum in Athens.

See also

In Spanish: Η para niños