Earth and the Universe Flashcards
study of Earth, its composition, structure, history and processes that shaped the Earth of the past and those that would continue to mold the Earth of the present.
Geology
Geology is divided into two broad areas. What are they?
Physical and Historical Geology
It examines the materials that compose the Earth and seeks to understand the processes occurring beneath and on its surface.
Physical Geology
It seeks to understand the origin of the Earth and its development over time.
Historical Geology
Three branches of Historical Geology are?
- Paleontology
- Stratigraphy
- Geochronology
It is the totality of space and time.
The Universe
An enormous collection of celestial bodies.
Galaxies
What is the reason behind the collection of galaxies?
Gravitational attraction due to the presence of dark matter, which acts as a cosmic glue holding the galaxies together.
How far apart are galaxies from each other?
Light-year
What is a light-year?
Distance that light travels in one year
What is the speed of light?
3 × 10⁵ km/sec
How far is one light-year in kilometers?
9.4 × 10¹² km
What does the Big Bang Theory explain about the evolution of the universe?
It explains that the universe started from a big explosion and has been expanding ever since.
When did the Big Bang occur?
Approximately 13.8 billion years ago.
Who proposed the expanding model of the universe in 1927?
Georges Lemaître, a Belgian Catholic priest and astronomer.
What observation did Georges Lemaître use to support his model of an expanding universe?
He observed that galaxies are moving away, shown by redshifts of spiral nebulae.
What is the Hubble Law, and how is it related to the Big Bang Theory?
It states that galaxies move away faster as they get farther from us, proving the universe is expanding.
What are the two main pieces of evidence for the Big Bang Theory?
- The universe is expanding – This is observed through redshift, which shows that galaxies are moving away from each other.
- Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) – The universe is filled with faint background radiation, which is leftover heat from the Big Bang.
What is Creationism, and how does it differ from the scientific explanation of the universe’s origin?
It the religious belief that the universe and life were created by specific acts of divine creation, rather than by natural processes like evolution.
The term “creationist” was first used in 1856 by Charles Darwin to describe those who opposed the idea of evolution on religious grounds.
