Electronics math terminology help

[suprleed]

I was poking around the electronics math helper at Joe D's analog alchemy site.  On the transistor bias help page one of the inputs to the equations is an item called Beta.  Can anyone explain what this is referring to?  Is this referring to current leakage or is this telling the equation we want to get half the voltage on the collector or something else?  I've tried various values and it can make a big difference in calculated voltages.

This is probably one of those questions with a really obvious answer but I just escapes me at the moment.  I've must be reading too much about Jfets this BJT terminology is foreign to me... 

[Ripthorn]

Beta is the symbol typically used for hfe.  It has to do with the gain of a transistor.  If you look up hfe you should find more information about it than you ever cared to know existed.

[frank_p]

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_4/9.html

[CynicalMan]

Beta or hfe is the common-emitter current gain. β= Ic/Ie

[suprleed]

Thanks all!  I knew it had to be something obvious. 

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