β (EN)

letter, symbol

letter “β”

1. the second letter of the Greek alphabet
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   In geometry, angle β is opposite side b in the triangle.

symbol “β”

1. (physics) a symbol representing beta particles or beta radiation
   The scientist measured the β radiation emitted by the radioactive material.
2. (chemistry) a prefix indicating the second position in a molecule or the second of several isomers
   β-carotene is important for human health due to its role as a precursor of vitamin A.
3. (phonetics) the symbol representing the voiced bilabial fricative sound in the International Phonetic Alphabet
   In Spanish, the sound [β] occurs between vowels in words like "hablar".
4. (relativity) the ratio of an object's speed to the speed of light, defined as β = v ⁄ c
   As the spacecraft accelerated, its β value approached 1.