Big Bang Theory

Origins of the Universe

The Big Bang Theory

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What do you know about the origins of the universe?

The Universe

All existing matter and space considered as a whole; the cosmos. The universe is believed to be at least 10 billion light years in diameter and contains a vast number of galaxies; it has been expanding since its creation in the Big Bang about 13 billion years ago.

What's This Big Bang All About?

The Big Bang Theory is how astronomers explain the way the universe began. It is the idea that the universe began as just a single point, then expanded and stretched to grow as large as it is right now—and it is still stretching!

Before the Big Bang

• Scientists believe that before the Big Bang space and time didn't exist and all that existed was energy

• The Big Bang occurred when all of this energy was concentrated into a single point called 'singlularity'

• Space began to expand quickly and the temperature was hot (an estimated 100 million trillion trillion degrees!)

A Tiny, Hot Beginning

• When the universe began, it was just hot, tiny particles mixed with light and energy. It was nothing like what we see now

•  As everything expanded and took up more space, it cooled down.

A Tiny, Hot Beginning

• The first stars created bigger atoms and groups of atoms. That led to more stars being born.

• At the same time, galaxies were crashing and grouping together.

• As new stars were being born and dying, then things like asteroids, comets, planets, and black holes formed!

Watch:Big Bang Explained

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNDGgL73ihY

Multiple Choice

The Big Bang Theory is the most widely accepted theory about the origin of the universe.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

What does the Big Bang theory suggest?

• The universe was just there
• The Milky Way is the only solar system
• The universe is continually expanding
• The universe is collapsing in toward a single point

Expanding Universe

• The universe is still expanding

• If things were moving apart, it meant that long ago, everything had been close together

• Everything we can see in our universe today—stars, planets, comets, asteroids—they weren't there at the beginning.

Evidence: Cosmic Background Radiation

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If you were to point a satellite dish at into any point in space, what would you expect to hear?

If you were to point a satellite dish into empty space you would get static

The universe has an underlying static - Cosmic microwave background  

1% Percent of TV Static Comes from Light of the Big Bang

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClDmjQo8nVQ

Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

• Big Bang Theory suggests that the universe was a very hot place and that as it expands, the gas within it cools 

• As the universe began to cool, radiation began to fill the universe as a remnant of the heat left over - this is called 'Cosmic Microwave Background'

• The cosmic microwave radiation is like an 'afterglow' of radiation

Multiple Choice

The "afterglow" of the energy from the origin of the universe that we see today.

• Cosmic microwave background radiation

• sunlight

• Doppler effect

• Cosmic explosions

Multiple Choice

How does Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation support the Big Bang Theory?

• Microwaves are found everywhere in the universe.

• Microwaves are useful in our everyday lives

Multiple Choice

Which statement is true?

• The galaxies are moving toward us.

• The galaxies are moving away from us.

• The universe remains static or unchanged in motion.

• None of the above

Multiple Choice

How old do scientists think the Universe is?

• 13.8 billion years old
• 4.5 billion years old
• 24,000 years old
• 5 years old

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What questions do you have?