Chapter 3 Vocab Flashcards
general relativity
First proposed by Albert Einstein in 1915, it extends the special theory of relativity to systems accelerating with respect to one another and leads to a new set of motion equations that show gravitational forces are a manifestation of the curvature of space-time
Big Bang Theory
Term coined by Fred Hoyle referring to George Lemaître’s primeval atom hypothesis that all the mass of the universe existed in a single, unique atom
Primordial
Primitive; existing early in time
philosophical
Proceeding from philosophy, the branch of knowledge that deals with reality and wisdom
metaphysical
Proceeding from metaphysics, the branch of philosophy that deals with first principles.
religious
Concerned with or believing in religion
gravitational waves
Ripples in the curvature of space-time that propagate as waves traveling outward from their source; predicted in 1916 by Albert Einstein based on general relativity.
cosmic inflation
Theory of exponential expansion of space in the early universe during the first 10-35 of a second
interstellar dust
cosmic dust that usually originates from the death of stars
inductive proofs
Proof formed from evidence giving rise to; reason from particulars to general
deductive proofs
Proofs formed from evidence narrowing down to; reason from generals to particulars
Borde-Guth-Vilenkin theorem
A simple kinematical argument authored by Arvind Borde, Alan Guth, and Alexander Vilenkin in 2003 that states that an inflationary cosmological model (space- time inflation) requires physics other than inflation to describe the past; that is, inflationary models must have a beginning.
probative force
Compelling, affording proof for evidence
subatomic particles
Particles that are within the atom or smaller than the atom
exponential
The variable in a quantity is the exponent
