Origin of the Universe Flashcards
What does the BIG BANG THEORY state?
states that the universe began to expand with the explosion of concentrated matter and energy
How long ago did the big bang occur?
13.8 billion years
What was the driving force behind the formation of the universe?
gravity
What is the organization of formation of the universe?
matter, clumps, clusters, galaxies, universe
What are two possible outcomes from the Big Bang Theory?
open universe, closed universe
What is an OPEN universe?
saddle shape, expands forever because there isn’t enough mass to counteract expansion with gravity
What is a CLOSED universe?
sphere shape, sufficient matter for halting expansion, eventual recollapse
What are contradictions to the Big Bang Theory?
- too much energy
- opposes the law of conservation of energy
- too complex and too early
What is the “TOO MUCH ENERGY” contradiction?
the Big Bang Theory requires energy that wouldn’t exist in the vacuum of space
What is the LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY?
energy cannot be created nor destroyed
What is the “TOO COMPLEX, TOO EARLY” contradiction?
universe has too many large structures that need 100 billion years
What is EX-NIHILO?
latin term that means ‘out of nothing’, church doctrine presented by St. Augustine
What did Einstein propose?
space is a space-time continuum
What are the three types of universe?
open, closed, flat
What is a FLAT universe?
when traveling in a straight line, you’d never return to the starting point
