Big Bang Theory Click on title for link

May explain how the universe formed.

Big Bang Theory A theory that states that the universe began to expand with the explosion of concentrated matter and energy.

After the “Big Bang”, the force of gravity began to affect the matter shooting outward in every direction.

Gravity began to pull matter into clumps. Gravity is a force of attraction between objects.

These clumps formed huge clusters which became galaxies of the universe.

The galaxies are moving away from the center of the universe.

The explosion took place about 14 billion years ago.

The fastest moving matter traveled the farthest distance away.

Astronomers believe that the Big Bang Theory leads to two possible futures:

Open Universe Galaxies will continue racing outward and therefore the universe will continue to expand until all stars die off.

An open universe leads to total emptiness.

Open Universe Saddle Shaped

The expansion of the universe will finally come to a halt. Closed Universe The expansion of the universe will finally come to a halt.

Gravity will pull the galaxies back toward the center of the universe.

Matter and energy will come closer and closer to the central area Matter and energy will come closer and closer to the central area. [Big Crunch] Then another big bang will occur.

Closed Universe Sphere shaped

Our book states that the universe is a closed universe. They believe that a big bang may occur once every 80 to 100 billion years!

Contradiction to the Big Bang Theory: Too much energy Most of the universe is empty space: a vacuum which is defined as a volume containing no particles, force fields, nor waves. By definition a vacuum has no energy. However, the Big Bang theory requires both in its early phases and in its later phases that the vacuum must have some energy. The law of conservation of energy demands that energy cannot be created nor destroyed.

Contradiction 2 Too complex, too early The universe has too many large structures, to be created in 10-20 billion years. We know the rate of expansion, thus we can get a rough estimate on how long it would take for them to form. In order for these to form, it would take about 100 billion years.

Food for thought: “Ex nihilo” is a Latin term that translated means “out of nothing.” It was an idea presented by St. Augustine that became Church doctrine. It is his philosophical explanation of how God created everything out of nothing, which interestingly enough can be applied to the big bang as well. Where did everything contained in the big bang come from and why did it bang in the first place?

Scientists now believe in a new theory:

According to Albert Einstein, the universe is a space-time continuum. It could take one of three forms .

Closed (looks like a sphere) Travel far enough and you always come back to the starting point. The universe will slow down, stop, then reverse direction causing a new Big Bang.

2. Open universe (looks like a saddle) galaxies continue to expand forever. Up until this summer, most scientists agreed that this theory was correct.

3. Flat universe: When traveling in a straight line you will never return to your starting point. This is the shape of our universe according to the latest observations.

The universe will expand forever, but more slowly all the time.