Course Material 1 - Flashcard

Front

What is the Big Bang Theory?

Back

The universe began as a tiny, dense, and hot singularity that exploded ~13.8 billion years ago, expanding and cooling to form galaxies, stars, and planets.

Front

What evidence supports the Big Bang Theory?

Back

Redshift (galaxies moving away)

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), and

abundance of light elements (hydrogen, helium).

Front

What is the Steady State Theory?

Back

The universe has no beginning or end; matter is continuously created as it expands (largely disproven by CMB evidence).

Front

What is Inflation Theory?

Back

The early universe expanded exponentially faster than the speed of light for a fraction of a second after the Big Bang.

Front

What does the Multiverse Theory suggest?

Back

Our universe is one of many 'bubble universes' created by eternal inflation.

Front

What is the Nebular Hypothesis?

Back

A giant cloud of gas/dust (nebula) collapsed under gravity, forming the Sun and planets.

Front

What is the Planetesimal Hypothesis?

Back

Small solid bodies (planetesimals) collided and stuck together to form planets.

Front

What is the Protoplanet Theory?

Back

Whirlpools in the nebula created clumps (protoplanets) that became planets.

Front

What are the types of planets in our Solar System?

Back

Terrestrial planets (rocky: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars),

gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn),

ice giants (Uranus, Neptune).

Front

What are Earth's unique characteristics that support life?

Back

Liquid water, atmosphere, plate tectonics, and being in the Goldilocks Zone.