Handout Unit 1 Origin of the Universe PDF

FIRST QUARTER EARTH SCIENCE UNIT 1- UNIVERSE AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM Lesson 1: Origi...

FIRST QUARTER EARTH SCIENCE UNIT 1- UNIVERSE AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM Lesson 1: Origin of the Universe Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to: 1.Describe the historical development of theories that explain the origin of the universe. 2.Identify and describe the components of the universe. Main Idea: Matter did not exist in the beginning of the time, there was only pure energy. Essential Question: “How did everything as we know it today, come into being?” Definition of terms: Cosmology- the study of the origin, properties, processes, and evolution of the universe. Astronomy- the scientific study of the universe. It is the branch of science that deals with celestial objects and space. Astronomers- scientists who study the universe. Theories of the Origin of the Universe: I.CREATION MYTHS - a symbolic narrative of the beginning of the world as understood by the culture. - these are handed down from generation to generation through oral traditions such as stories, poems, songs, work of arts and etc. a.Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament --the narrative from Genesis, one of the books of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. Describes how God separated light from darkness, and created the sky, land, sea, moon, starts, and every living creature in a span of six days. (Genesis 1:1-31 and Genesis 2:1-3) b. RIGVEDA -the oldest of the sacred books of Hinduism. -It describes the universe and oscillating universe in which a “cosmic egg” or Brahmanda containing the whole universe- including the sun, moon, planets, and space-expanded out of a single concentrated point called Bindu, and will eventually collapse again. c. LEUCIPPUS AND DEMOCRITUS  --they believed in atomic universe. -universe was composed of very small , indivisible, and indestructible atoms. They also believed that the universe is like a giant living body, with the sun and the stars as the most important parts to which everything else was interconnected. d. ARISTOTLE AND PTOLEMY -they proposed a geocentric universe where Earth stayed motionless in the heavens and everything was revolving around it. E. NICOLAUS COPERNICUS --demonstrated that the motions of celestial objects can be explained without putting Earth in the center of the universe II. BIG BANG THEORY -The universe is believed to have started from a GREAT EXPLOSION or EXPANSION. All the matter and energy in the universe are crammed into a tiny compact point called “SINGULARITY”. FOUR FUNDAMENTAL FORCES: 1.Strong Force - short-range attractive force which binds proton and neutron together in the nucleus. Role in the Universe: This force binds protons and neutrons together in atomic nuclei. Importance: It is the force that holds the nuclei of atoms together, making the existence of matter possible. It powers nuclear fusion in stars, producing the energy that makes stars shine and the synthesis of heavier elements (stellar nucleosynthesis). It played a crucial role in the early universe by stabilizing the protons and neutrons formed after the Big Bang. 2.Electromagnetic force - long-ranged force that binds atoms into molecules. Role in the Universe: This force acts between charged particles. It is responsible for the interactions between electrons and protons. Importance: It governs the behavior of atoms and molecules, which are the building blocks of matter. It is responsible for the emission, absorption, and transmission of light, enabling us to observe the universe. It drives chemical reactions, which are crucial for the processes in stars and the formation of life. 3.Weak Force - Short-ranged force breaks down an atom’s molecules and produces radioactive decay. Role in the Universe: This force is responsible for the process of beta decay, changing a neutron into a proton (or vice versa). Importance: It is essential for the process of nuclear fusion in stars, particularly in the proton-proton chain reaction. It plays a role in the synthesis of elements in stars and during supernovae. It was important in the early universe for the processes that led to the creation of hydrogen and helium, the most abundant elements. 4.Gravitational Force - weak, long-ranged, and attractive force which binds the solar system. Role in the Universe: Gravity is the force of attraction between masses. It is responsible for the large-scale structure of the universe. Importance: It caused the initial clumping of matter in the early universe, leading to the formation of galaxies and stars. It governs the orbits of planets, moons, and other celestial bodies, maintaining the structure of solar systems. It influences the behavior of black holes and the dynamics of galaxy clusters. Here's a brief timeline of the Big Bang Theory, highlighting the most significant events from the explosion to the present: III. OSCILLATING UNIVERSE - -The universe undergoes periods of expansion and contraction. - Curvature resulted in the expansion of the universe for a time- Contraction is due to gravity in a perpetual cycle of big bang and big crunch. A cycle of Bigbang and Big Crunch IV. STEADY STATE THEORY - This theory thought that the overall density of the universe throughout its formation was constant from the very beginning. - Proposed that the universe is unchanging in time and uniform in space. - The Steady-State model states that: “ the density of matter in the expanding universe remains unchanged over time because of the continuous creation of matter.” In other words, the observable Universe essentially remains the same regardless of time or place. ◼ The universe is UNCHANGING. EVIDENCES  1. Flatness 2. Monopole 3. Horizon FLATNESS PROBLEM -The universe's density appears very close to the critical density, suggesting a flat geometry. ▪ Flat Universe (Critical Density): The universe is perfectly balanced at the critical density. ▪ Open Universe (Less than Critical Density): The universe expands forever, with density less than the critical value. ▪ Closed Universe (More than Critical Density): The universe eventually collapses back on itself, with density greater than the critical value. MONOPOLE PROBLEM According to certain grand unified theories, the early universe should have produced a significant number of magnetic monopoles. These are hypothetical particles with only one magnetic pole (north or south), unlike regular magnets, which have both a north and a south pole. Magnetic monopoles, predicted by certain grand unified theories of particle physics, should be abundant if the universe were in a steady state. However, no magnetic monopoles have been observed, posing a problem for the Steady State Theory. HORIZON PROBLEM -The cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) is remarkably uniform across the sky, despite regions of space being causally disconnected in the context of the Steady State Theory. The uniformity of the CMB suggests that these regions were once in thermal equilibrium, a scenario more naturally explained by the Big Bang Theory and the concept of cosmic inflation. V. INFLATION THEORY ◼ The most significant assumption is that very shortly after the Big Bang, the universe expanded very rapidly for a short period of time. ◼ This theory suggests that the universe underwent a phase of extraordinary expansion. Multiverse vs Parallel Universe Multiverse - That the universe is just one of the many bubbles in the multiverse - Multiverse theory suggests that our universe, with all its hundreds of billions of galaxies and almost countless stars, spanning tens of billions of light-years, may not be the only one Parallel Universe (alternate universe, parallel world, parallel dimension, alternate reality) - Many worlds which exist in parallel at the same space and time as our own. Parallel universe is another copy of our universe.