Originis of the UNiverse

Origins of the Universe

The Big Bang Theory

Open Ended

What do you know about the origins of the universe?

Big Bang

Lesson Objectives:

• Recognize that the universe is expanding.

• Identify a model that illustrates the Big Bang theory.

• Create a model that shows how the universe is expanding.

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!

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.

Multiple Choice

How does red-shift support the Big Bang theory?

• Red-shift indicates galaxies are moving towards us, contradicting the idea of an expanding universe in the Big Bang theory.
• Red-shift is caused by galaxies colliding, which does not align with the Big Bang theory.
• Red-shift indicates galaxies are moving away from us, supporting the idea of an expanding universe in the Big Bang theory.
• Red-shift is a phenomenon that only occurs in our galaxy, so it does not provide evidence for the Big Bang theory.

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

Open Ended

How is looking into the sky like staring into the past?

Multiple Choice

How long is an astronomical unit?

• 9.5 trillion kilometers

• 85 billion miles

• 93 million miles

• 93 billion miles

Multiple Choice

How old is the universe?

• 13.7 million years old

• 13.7 billion years old

• 9.5 million years old

• 93 billion years old

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

Evidence: Cosmic Background Radiation

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

Open Ended

What is a model you could use to show the big bang?

Open Ended

Describe the universe.