My 8 yr old grandson asked me what the difference was between infinity and eternity?

Question

What answer should I have given him?

Answer 1

infinity is a measurement of area or space, eternity is a measurement of time.

Answer 2

It tends to be that Infinity is a measure of numbers and Eternity is a measure of time.

Answer 3

inifinity is long and eternity is never ending.

you can reach inifinity but you can not end eternity.

you can have inifinity amount of stars. where there is no account of it.

but you can not have eternity amount of stars. the stars have to end on the number after you finesh counting or they are no stars left to count.

in maths inifinity is used to discribe a lintrigal from 0 to inifinity it can be used for time distance and so on.

but there is no use for eternity in maths because it dose not have a start and a end.

if

Answer 4

It will take till eternity to travel an infinite distance.

Answer 5

Infinity is something that goes on forevery, such as a distance, Eternity is based on time.

Answer 6

I aggree with asherz very well put

Answer 7

sounds like a smart eight year old

it means endlessness and they are synonyms so they both can be defined by endlessness

Answer 8

Good question.  To an 8 year old, I might say, "Infinity is as far as space goes.  Eternity is as far as time goes".

Although this answer may not be *technically* correct, it is probably the easiest explanation for an 8 year old to wrap his brain around.

Answer 9

wow...  they can really come up with some doozies can't they?!?!  but i agree with the first answer.  infinity is like on a number line in math class... it can go on forever.  but eternity is real time.  with no beginning or no end.

Answer 10

Infinity is related to distance or occasionally substances.

Eternity is related to time.

Answer 11

im sure whatever answer you gave him would of been a good one :)

first i would say...what an interesting and clever question...im so glad you think so intelligently...i am proud of you.

the two words are quite similar however infinity usually applys to numbers and eternity to time.

i would say infinity is a boundryless amount of numbers...and eternity means forever. but you could use pretty much either word to desribe a similar thing :) (thats me smiling at your clever grandson)

Answer 12

Infinity refers  to nunbers  or distance   Eternity  refers to time  Both  mean  endless,  without  end

Answer 13

Yes, infinity is numbers and eternity is time

Both mean never ending though.

Answer 14

Umm, I thought they were the same but I've checked on the Internet for you:

Infinity-1 the state or quality of being infinite.

2 a very great number or amount.

3 Mathematics:a number greater than any assignable quantity or countable number.

4 a point in space or time that is or seems infinitely distant.

Eternity-

1 infinite or unending time.

2 Theology endless life after death.

3 (an eternity) informal an undesirably long period of time.

So Eternity is for time(years,etc..) and Infinity is number, area,etc.

Sorry I couldn't be of much use :)

Answer 15

Geez good luck

Answer 16

To me infinity refers to a measure of number or distance whereas eternity refers to a length of time

Answer 17

Eternity is specific to time

Answer 18

tell him infinity is very big, uncounted number..

while eternity is very long time..

Answer 19

Infinity is more than the number of stars in the sky or of the number of grain of sand on a beach.

Eternity lasts an infinity of time, which it means forever, and ever... and ever...

Answer 20

tell him that the they are unimaginably  large number and time

Answer 21

They both speak to the concept boundlessness.

Eternity is the time with no end (to an 8 yr. old)

Infinity is numbers with no end.

So I'll tell an 8 year old, when you count 1..2..3..4, it'll take Eternity to get to Infinity

Answer 22

Eternity means forever.   Infinity means the largest.

Answer 23

Infinity is numbers and eternity is years or time

Answer 24

infinity is the uncountable numbers

eternity is that which lasts forever

Answer 25

i dont know it depends what you said to him.........