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WOON RAY MING - 16.3 - Universe

The document discusses the cosmic microwave background radiation, which provides evidence for the Big Bang theory of the universe expanding from a single point. It describes how galaxies further away show greater redshift and are moving away faster according to Hubble's law, from which the age of the universe can be calculated. Doppler effect causes the observed redshift of light from distant galaxies moving away from us.

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24 views14 pages

WOON RAY MING - 16.3 - Universe

The document discusses the cosmic microwave background radiation, which provides evidence for the Big Bang theory of the universe expanding from a single point. It describes how galaxies further away show greater redshift and are moving away faster according to Hubble's law, from which the age of the universe can be calculated. Doppler effect causes the observed redshift of light from distant galaxies moving away from us.

Uploaded by

westlakeray07
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BIGGER THAN YOU THINK

• The Universe
Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

After the Big Bang (beginning of the Universe), the Universe would have been very hot
and filled with short wavelength gamma radiation. Expansion of the Universe would
cause the wavelength of this radiation to stretch into longer wavelength microwaves.
If this is the case, the Universe should be filled with microwaves. These microwave were
discovered by accident when two scientists were testing a microwave receiver they had
built for their own research.
This CMBR became the foundation of our understanding of the beginning of the
Universe.
Doppler Effect
Doppler Effect
The doppler effect accounts for the changing wavelengths due to the motion of the source as
illustrated in the sound diagrams below.

A B A B

Same frequency or frequency B receive sound with higher


received for both A and B. frequency (or shorter wavelength)
In other words, A and B receive than A.
sound of the same pitch. B receive a higher pitch sound than A.
Doppler Effect – Light When light source moves
towards the observer, the light
will have a higher frequency.
Spectra are blueshifted – star moving closer
Light appears to be bluer at
higher frequency, this is known
as blueshift. Lower frequency
light is redder or redshifted.
The diagram shows spectrum
of light from the Sun, the black
lines are colours absorbed by
gases on the Sun.
At rest
Blueshift happens when the
black lines shifted towards the
bluer spectrum of light
(shorter frequency), indicating
that the star is moving towards
us. Redshift works as the
opposite of blueshift.
Spectra are redshifted – star moving away
There are more stars in the Universe than there
are grain of sand on an average beach.
Big Bang Theory

Astronomers found that the distant galaxies they can see in the Universe are moving
away from the Milky Way galaxy in a similar way. It seems that the whole Universe is
expanding.
But what if we imagined time going backwards? Then the galaxies would be moving
closer and closer together to a single point. At some moment in the past, all of the
matter in the Universe must have exploded outwards from this point and it is still
expanding. This is known as the Big Bang Theory.
Hubble’s Law

Hubble found that more distant galaxies had greater redshifts than the
ones closer to Earth. This means that the distant galaxies are moving
away faster. He plotted a graph of speed against distance from Earth and
he got results plotted below:
Known as the Hubble’s law, he
Edwin Hubble found the proportional relationship
defined as:
v
H0 =
d
H0 = Hubble constant
v = speed moving away from Earth
d = distance from Earth
Georges Lemaître
Hubble’s Law

Astronomers have been repeated Hubble’s measurements to get a more accurate


measurement of the Hubble’s constant. They have been able to use the space
telescope named after him to do this.
For very distant galaxies, astronomers have to
look for exploding white dwarf stars. These
supernovae release enough energy to be seen
from Earth. They are thought to give out known
amount of light. The faint light that arrives Earth
can then be used to estimate their distance away.

(extra)
Astronomers use the inverse square rule to relate star brightness
Hubble Space Telescope to their distance.
Hubble’s Law

The current estimate of Hubble’s constant H0 is 2.2 × 10-18 per second.

distance
Since speed =
time
d
t=
v
d 1
From Hubble’s graph: t = =
v H0

We found that the age of the universe is approximately 13.72 billion years.
Which of the following is correct?
(a) The Universe consists of millions of stars.

(b) The Universe consists of billions of star.


Concept Check

(c) The Universe consists of millions of galaxies

(d) The Universe consists of billions of galaxies

Explain what is meant by redshift.


What is meant by the Big Bang Theory

Name two pieces of evidence that supports the Big Bang Theory
Concept Check

Explain what Hubble’s constant is

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