Big Bang Theory

What is the Big Bang theory?

• The idea that the universe has always existed in its current state

• The theory that the universe began from a single, extremely hot and dense point and has been expanding ever since

• The belief that the universe was created by a collision of two galaxies

• The suggestion that the universe is shrinking over time

What is the cosmic microwave background (CMB)?

• The light from the Sun that reaches Earth

• The faint glow of radiation left over from the early universe, detectable in all directions

• The background noise from stars in our galaxy

• The sound waves produced by black holes

Which scientist’s observations in the 1920s provided strong evidence for the expansion of the universe?

• Isaac Newton

• Edwin Hubble

• Albert Einstein

• Stephen Hawking

What does the redshift of light from distant galaxies tell us?

• Galaxies are moving towards us

• Galaxies are moving away from us

• Galaxies are not moving at all

• The universe is contracting

Approximately how old is the universe according to the Big Bang theory?

• 1.3 million years

• 13.8 million years

• 13.8 billion years

• 138 billion years

Which of the following is NOT considered evidence for the Big Bang?

• The cosmic microwave background

• The abundance of light elements like hydrogen and helium

• The redshift of galaxies

• The existence of black holes

What does the Big Bang theory suggest about the temperature of the universe over time?

• It has always stayed the same

• It has increased

• It has decreased

• It fluctuates randomly

What is the approximate temperature of the cosmic microwave background today?

Which element was NOT formed in significant amounts during the first few minutes after the Big Bang?

• Hydrogen

• Helium

• Lithium

• Iron

• The speed of light in a vacuum

• The relationship between the velocity of a galaxy and its distance from us (Hubble’s Law)

• The energy of a photon

• The mass-energy equivalence