Introduction to the Big Bang Theory The Origin of the Universe

You walk into a theater, on the screen, you see car parts flying away in all directions . . .

What just happened? State your observation.________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ State your hypothesis.________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Give your evidence for your hypothesis.__________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Can you make a statement about an event even though you didn’t witness it happening?______________________

Play the movie backwards If you could play the movie backwards, what would the objects be doing?_______________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Following that thought back to the very beginning…what was originally on screen?__________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) Astronomer who made several discoveries that provided clues for how our universe began: 1. ___________________________________ are “building blocks” of the universe. - __________________________________: All existing matter, energy & space The Milky Way (Earth’s galaxy) was 1 galaxy among billions of others. - __________________________________: Is made up of a cluster of _________________________ (solar systems). There are __________________________________ of galaxies within the universe. The galaxies are __________________________________________ ___________________________________ from each other.

The Big Bang Theory A ______________________________ ________________________ that states that the _____________________________ was created from a high density of __________________________ (called a “_____________________________”) that _______________________________ at very ______________ temperatures, shooting ____________________________ & ____________________________ everywhere. Eventually, the matter began to ____________________ off & formed various ____________________________.

Formation of the Universe One Scientific Theory – All _________________________________ & _________________________________ in the universe was concentrated in an __________________________________ __________________________ volume _________________________________________ years ago, the _________________________________________ occurred, propelling matter & energy in all directions universe _________________________________ ________________________________ condensed (clumped) matter __________________________________ Many questions remain about the beginning of the universe “__________ _____________ _______________”

Hubble’s Logic For the galaxies to expand, they must have been ____________________________________ in history. Hubble concluded that there must be an infinitely _________________________________, infinitely _______________________ starting point that contained all the matter in the universe. Called a ____________________________________. An enormous ___________________________________ set things in __________________________. How does Hubble’s logic compare to yours about the car crash scene in the movie? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

But how did Hubble conclude these things (right or wrong) about our universe? What did he study? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Heartbeat of a Star What are stars made of? What process is the “heartbeat” of a star? When this process begins, a star is born, & when this process stops, a star dies…

Nuclear Fusion A ____________________ is born when _____________________________ begins in the star’s _______________________ (center) ______ + ______ à ______ ___________________________ is a reaction that combines _____ ______________________ nuclei (atom) to form ____________________________ nuclei (atom) The result is the release of a large amount of ____________________________

Nuclear Fusion What are the _____ ________________________________ (outcomes) of nuclear fusion? __________________________________ nuclei (atom) LOTS of _____________________________!