CIEN 203: Universe and Earth Formation
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Questions and Answers

What theory describes the beginning of the Universe?

  • The Theory of Relativity
  • The Theory of Evolution
  • The Big Bang Theory (correct)
  • The Nebular Hypothesis

The existence of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) supports the Big Bang Theory.

True (A)

Who first proposed the Big Bang Theory?

Georges Lemaître

The Universe began approximately _____ billion years ago.

<p>13.7</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Formation of the Moon (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms with their corresponding definitions:

<p>Singularity = An infinitely small region containing everything in the universe Nebular Hypothesis = Theory explaining how planets formed from a cloud of gas and dust Iron Catastrophe = Event when Earth differentiated into layers based on density Expansion of the Universe = Ongoing increase in the distance between galaxies</p> Signup and view all the answers

Matter, energy, space, and time were created during the _____ of the Universe.

<p>Big Bang</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the primary elements that supported the Big Bang Theory?

<p>Hydrogen and helium</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is believed to be residual radiation from the Big Bang?

<p>Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Hubble discovered that the Universe was shrinking in the 1920s.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What two elements are primarily formed following the Big Bang?

<p>hydrogen and helium</p> Signup and view all the answers

The event of the Universe becoming __________ is marked by the absorption of free electrons into neutral atoms.

<p>transparent</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following scientists to their contributions regarding the Universe:

<p>Hubble = Discovered the expanding Universe Kant = Proposed the Nebular Hypothesis Laplace = Developed the Nebular Hypothesis Einstein = Theory of General Relativity</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which decade did Hubble make his significant discoveries about the Universe?

<p>1920s (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The formation of the Solar System is explained by the Nebular Hypothesis.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What scientific concept explains the proportional relationship between a galaxy's redshift and its distance from us?

<p>Doppler Effect</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which planet has the largest percentage of the mass in the solar system?

<p>Sun (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The inner terrestrial planets are mostly composed of gas.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main composition of the Sun?

<p>Hydrogen</p> Signup and view all the answers

The event in Earth's history where heavier elements sank to the core is known as the ______.

<p>Iron Catastrophe</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following celestial bodies with their corresponding mass percentages in the solar system:

<p>Sun = 99.85% Jupiter = 0.10% All other planets = 0.04% Comets = 0.01%</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the outer Jovian planets?

<p>Gaseous or liquid in form, composed of lighter elements (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Pluto has cleared its orbit of debris.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What process led to the formation of the Proto-Earth?

<p>Accretion</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following layers of the Earth is primarily composed of a solid iron-nickel alloy?

<p>Inner core (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The Earth's crust is thicker under oceans than it is under continents.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What causes the movement of the Earth's plates?

<p>Convection in the mantle</p> Signup and view all the answers

The Earth's _____ is responsible for generating the Earth's magnetic field.

<p>outer core</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following layers of the Earth with their descriptions:

<p>Crust = Solid outer layer of the Earth Mantle = Iron-rich layer that causes convection Outer Core = Liquid layer that generates magnetic field Inner Core = Solid center of the Earth composed of iron-nickel</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following elements is NOT significantly found in the Earth's mantle?

<p>Aluminum (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Mantle xenoliths are rocks brought to the surface by volcanic activity.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What event is associated with the formation of the Moon?

<p>Giant Impact Hypothesis (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What shape is the Earth mostly described as due to its equatorial and polar circumferences?

<p>Oblate spheroid</p> Signup and view all the answers

Theia is the name of the Mars-sized planetesimal that collided with the Earth to form the Moon.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one source of heat that caused the proto-earth to melt?

<p>Heat from collision</p> Signup and view all the answers

The accumulation of gases in the atmosphere began around _______ billion years ago (Bya).

<p>4.0</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not a stage in the origin of the Earth's atmosphere?

<p>Build-up of continents (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The build-up of oxygen in the atmosphere is attributed to cyanobacteria and subsequently plants.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What process caused the loss of the primordial atmosphere approximately 4.5 billion years ago?

<p>Solar wind</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the stages in the formation of the Earth's atmosphere with their corresponding events:

<p>1 = Primordial atmosphere lost to solar wind 2 = Continual degassing and venting as Earth differentiated 3 = Steady accumulation of gases 4 = Build-up of oxygen from cyanobacteria</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Big Bang Theory

The leading explanation for the universe's origin, proposing a beginning from an extremely hot, dense state.

Universe's origin

The Big Bang theory describes the universe's origin from a singularity, a point of infinite density and temperature.

Singularity

The initial, extremely dense and hot state of the universe according to the Big Bang theory.

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)

Leftover radiation from the Big Bang, providing evidence supporting the theory.

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Hydrogen and Helium Abundance

The observed high proportion of hydrogen and helium in the universe, consistent with Big Bang predictions.

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Georges Lemaître

The scientist who first proposed the Big Bang theory in the 1920s.

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13.7 Billion Years

The estimated age of the universe based on scientific measurements.

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Primordial Elements

The elements created in the early universe, mainly hydrogen and helium.

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Hubble's Redshift

The observation that distant galaxies are moving away from us and the farther away they are, the faster they're moving.

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Expanding Universe

The Universe is getting bigger over time, meaning galaxies are moving farther apart.

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Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR)

Leftover radiation from the Big Bang, a faint glow of light coming from all directions in space.

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Big Bang

The theory that the Universe began as an extremely hot and dense point that rapidly expanded, creating space and time.

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Transparent Universe

The stage in the early Universe when photons could travel freely, after atoms formed and absorbed free electrons.

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Opaque Universe

The early Universe was filled with free electrons that scattered photons, making it impossible to see through.

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Abundance of Hydrogen and Helium

The Universe overwhelmingly consists of hydrogen and helium, which supports the Big Bang theory.

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Nebular Hypothesis

A theory explaining the formation of our solar system from a rotating cloud of gas and dust, called a nebula.

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Frost Line

The boundary in the early solar system beyond which icy materials could condense, leading to different planet compositions.

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Inner Planets

The rocky planets in our solar system closer to the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars).

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Outer Planets

The gas giants in our solar system farther from the Sun (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune).

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Accretion

The process by which dust and gas particles in the early solar system stuck together due to gravity, growing into larger objects.

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Heating

The process of the early Earth getting hotter due to impacts, radioactive decay, and gravitational compression, leading to melting.

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Differentiation

The process where denser materials sunk to the center of the Earth, forming the core, while lighter materials rose to the surface.

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Iron Catastrophe

The sinking of heavy elements like iron to the Earth's core, leaving lighter elements on the surface.

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Proto-Earth

The early Earth before its core solidified and its atmosphere formed.

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Sources of Heat for Proto-Earth

Collisions, radioactive decay, solar radiation, and contraction all contributed to the heat that melted the proto-Earth.

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Giant Impact Hypothesis

The prevailing theory for the Moon's formation, suggesting it resulted from a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized planetesimal.

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Theia

The name given to the Mars-sized planetesimal that collided with Earth to form the Moon.

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Earth's Differentiation

The process where Earth's denser elements sank to the core while lighter ones formed the crust and mantle.

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Primordial Atmosphere

The first atmosphere surrounding the Earth, composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, lost to the solar wind.

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Cyanobacteria's Role

These ancient bacteria produced oxygen through photosynthesis, leading to a significant increase in oxygen in Earth's atmosphere.

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Compositional Layers

Layers of the Earth classified by their dominant chemical makeup, like the iron-rich core and silica-rich crust.

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Mechanical Layers

Layers of the Earth defined by how they behave under stress, like the brittle lithosphere and the ductile asthenosphere.

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Crust

The solid outer shell of the Earth, thinner under oceans and thicker under continents.

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Mantle

The thick layer beneath the crust, mostly made of iron, oxygen, silicon, and magnesium. It's where Earth's plates move.

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Core

The Earth's center, composed primarily of iron and nickel, with a solid inner core and a liquid outer core.

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Lithosphere

The rigid outer layer of the Earth, comprising the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.

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Asthenosphere

The partially molten layer in the upper mantle, allowing the lithosphere to move.

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Why is the Inner Core Solid?

The inner core is solid due to immense pressure, which forces the iron atoms closer together, preventing them from melting.

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Study Notes

The Universe and the Earth

  • The course is CIEN 203, PUP College of Engineering, 1st Semester 2024
  • Learning objectives include identifying events and processes leading to Earth's formation, explaining Earth's layers, describing large-scale surface features, and discussing isostasy theories.
  • Topic outline includes the Big Bang Theory, Nebular Hypothesis, formation of the Moon, Iron Catastrophe, and formation of the atmosphere (Part I), and layers of the Earth, size of the Earth, large-scale features, and theories of isostasy (Part II).

Formation of the Universe

  • The Big Bang Theory is the prevailing theory for the Universe's beginning, first proposed by Georges Lemaître in the 1920s.
  • At the beginning, there was a singularity (infinitely small region with virtually zero volume) containing everything in the Universe.

The Formation of the Universe: Evidence

  • Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR): believed to be residual radiation from the Big Bang; one second after the Big Bang, subatomic particles scattered everywhere making the Universe opaque until free electrons caused photons to scatter

  • Abundance of Hydrogen and Helium: if the Big Bang began with undifferentiated mass, Hydrogen and Helium would be the first elements formed as they are the simplest; Hydrogen and Helium are the primary elements that comprise stars and nebulae

  • Hubble's Redshift: Hubble's discoveries in the 1920s changed the perspective on the Universe by showing that it was larger than previously thought and that it was expanding. The degree of galaxy redshift is proportional to its distance from Earth. Because space is expanding, the universe must have been smaller in the past.

Formation of the Moon

  • The Giant Impact Hypothesis proposes that a Mars-sized planetesimal called Theia collided with Earth, resulting in debris coalescing to form the Moon. This is thought to have happened after the Iron Catastrophe.

Origin of the Atmosphere

  • Stages in the formation of Earth's atmosphere:
    • Initial loss of primordial atmosphere due to solar wind
    • Continued degassing and venting of gases as Earth differentiated
    • Gradual accumulation of gases causing the atmosphere to thicken
    • Build-up of oxygen from cyanobacteria and subsequently plants

The Solar System

  • The Nebular Hypothesis: proposes that the Solar System formed from a single rotating cloud of gas and dust (solar nebula). It was first proposed by Immanuel Kant and Pierre Simon de Laplace in the 18th century.
  • The solar system formed by:
    • Condensation and cooling occurring from a hot rotating disk from a single rotating cloud of gas and dust
    • Formation of the sun and other planets (rocky and metallic particles coalesced )
  • Composition of Solar System mass: The sun composes almost all the mass. Other planets (including Jupiter), comets, satellites and rings, asteroids, and meteoroids and dust account for the remaining mass

The Sun

  • The Sun is a middle-aged star composed primarily of hydrogen.

Layers of the Earth

  • Two types of layers: compositional (chemical) and mechanical (physical)
    • Compositional layers are differentiated by the dominant lithology or chemical composition (e.g., Fe-Ni core vs. silica-rich crust).
    • Mechanical layers are differentiated by rigidity or strength (e.g., brittle lithosphere vs. ductile asthenosphere)

Theories of Isostasy

  • Isostasy is the state of equilibrium between parts of Earth's lithosphere. Different theories explain equilibrium based on mass and density differences in the lithosphere

The Iron Catastrophe

  • Heavier materials sank to the core (iron) and lighter materials rose to the surface during Earth's formation, producing Earth's layers
  • The heat from collisions and radioactive decay caused materials to melt, in addition to contraction during accretion

The Pluto Controversy

  • Pluto is a dwarf planet, not a regular planet due to its failure to clear its orbit of debris

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CIEN 203 Lecture Notes: The Universe and the Earth - PDF

Description

Test your understanding of the CIEN 203 course at PUP College of Engineering, focusing on the formation of the universe and the Earth. This quiz covers essential theories like the Big Bang, the Nebular Hypothesis, and Earth's layered structure. Dive into processes that led to the formation of our planet and the features that define it.

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