Week 1: How the elements are formed

Question 1

Explain the big bang theory

Answer 1

The best-supported theory of our universe’s origin centers on an event known as the big bang. This theory was born of the observation that other galaxies are moving away from our own at great speed in all directions, as if they had all been propelled by an ancient explosive force.

Question 2

Who suggested the big bang theory?

Answer 2

Georges Lemaître

Question 3

By mass, hydrogen was how many percent of the early universe’s matter?

Answer 3

75%

Question 4

By mass, hydrogen was how many percent of the early universe’s matter?

Answer 4

25%

Question 5

What does cosmic microwave radiation indicate ?

Answer 5

it indicates that the big bang actually happened because it is the oldest radiation known and may hold many secrets about the universe’s earliest moments.

Question 6

Who discovered cosmic microwave radiation?

Answer 6

It was first predicted by Ralph Alpherin

Question 7

What evidence is there that the universe began in a big bang?

Answer 7

the tiny bit of background radiation in the universe is energy remaining from big bang is evidence that the universe did begin in a big bang

Question 8

What happened in the first minutes after the Big Bang?

Answer 8

After only a few seconds, protons, neutrons, and electrons formed

Question 9

Everything that is now in the universe was squeezed into a very small volume called a ____

Answer 9

singularity

Question 10

What is a cloud of gas and dust?

Answer 10

nebula

Question 11

How do stars form?

Answer 11

Stars form in a nebula

Question 12

Why do scientists think the Pillars of Creation are where stars are forming?

Answer 12

Because in the Pillars of Creation, gas and dust come together as a stellar nursery

Question 13

What is building up of heavier nuclei called ?

Answer 13

Nuclear fusion

Question 14

Three important fusion processes are:

Answer 14

Proton-proton chain, CNO cycle and triple alpha process

Question 15

Proton-proton chain

Answer 15

details how helium is made in our sun

Question 16

CNO cycle

Answer 16

explains how hydrogen is fused in hotter stars

Question 17

Triple alpha process

Answer 17

accounts for the helium fusing that occurs in mature stars

Question 18

Once all the hydrogen in the core has been used up, helium is fused into ?

Answer 18

carbon, nitrogen and oxygen

Question 19

After helium fusing ends in high mass stars, carbon fusing begins creating ?

Answer 19

oxygen, neon, sodium, and magnesium.

Question 20

a star having a mass of more than 8 solar masses

Answer 20

supergiant

Question 21

Some of the reactions which lead to the creation of these new elements also produce ?

Answer 21

neutrons

Question 22

These neutrons arecaptured by some of the new atoms to form different ?

Answer 22

isotopes

Question 23

the fantastic death of supergiant stars

Answer 23

supernovae

Question 24

Where are the heaviest elements created in?

Answer 24

supernovae

Question 25

What percentage of stars are binary?

Answer 25

70%

Question 26

What was present after the big bang?

Answer 26

the first four elements

Question 27

Which elements were created in red giants?

Answer 27

elements up thru magnesium

Question 28

Which elements were created in supergiants?

Answer 28

elements up thru iron

Question 29

Which elements were created in supernovae?

Answer 29

elements from iron to uranium

Question 30

When atoms meet one another in nebulae, what happens?

Answer 30

chemical reactions take place