What exactly is the Big Bang Theory?
How can scientists prove the Big Bang Theory? What evidence is there? As we start this unit, we will be looking at the specifics of the Big Bang Theory, as well as some bigger picture questions. On this page, I have included some videos, my notes from classes, and some useful references and links to other good websites.
Lesson 2. The Big Bang, step by stepLesson #2. The Big Bang, step by step
What exactly happened in the Big Bang? When did it happen? How did something come from nothing? In our first look at the Big Bang, we need to understand, step by step, exactly what happened. This is very dense material to understand, so we will break it down to the key ideas.
Lesson 3. The End of the Universe.Lesson #3. The End of the Universe. How will the Universe end? Or will it ever end? We explore 3 scenarios for the end of the Universe. All are complex, all are unknown, and all require some serious brain power to get your head around. All of these ideas force us to do a bit of a reflection, and your first reflection is below.
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Lesson 1. Introduction to CosmologyCosmologists are interested in understanding the creation, evolution and ultimate fate of the Universe. It is hard to separate questions of cosmology from questions of philosophy. What was there before the Universe? Why are we here? Are we alone in the Universe? We examined the scale of our Solar System, and looked briefly at the Evolution of Cosmology.
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Here are some useful links to other websites. They provide a fairly introductory level of information about the Big Bang Theory.
A textbook?
As I am teaching the new BC curriculum , there is no textbook that has been published for it. As such, I will post digital resources for students on this website. Below, I have made a link to several chapters from another science textbook that deals with the Big Bang Theory. Not all parts of this chapter are relevant, but there is good information to be had within the PDF document.
astronomy_textbook.pdf | |
File Size: | 3680 kb |
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Lessons 4, 5 & 6. The 3 proofs of the Big Bang
How exactly did astronomers figure out the Big Bang happened? What is the proof? We discuss the three major pieces of evidence that prove this Scientific Theory. This is complicated, brainy stuff, and I have included my powerpoint, as well as a couple of useful links that might help clarify this evidence that changed how we view everything.
3_proofs_of_big_bang.pptx | |
File Size: | 659 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Proof 1. Expanding Galaxies
Astronomers used to believe that the Universe was static, unchanging in shape and size. Almost 100 years ago, new evidence demonstrated that stars and galaxies appeared to be moving away from one another. By studying the light spectrum emitted by stars and galaxies, astronomers noticed that light was RED-SHIFTED towards the red end of the light spectrum, indicating the light wavelengths were getting stretched out. The reason for this stretching was that the light source, the star, was moving further away from the observer. Complicated huh? Maybe these two videos on will help. The answer key for the notes is included at the bottom.
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red-shift_worksheet_answer_key.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Proof 2. Cosmic Background Radiation
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The idea of Cosmic Background Radiation (CMB) is complex. Essentially, scientists were studying the furthest reaches of space and found a thermal "echo", or leftover space heat. The data was indicating that, billions of years ago, the Universe was much hotter than it is today, and that the heat wasn't distributed equally. Some areas were hotter and slightly more dense, and these became the first stars, galaxies and planets. Colder and less dense areas of space remain empty.
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Proof 3. Presence of Light Elements
Back when the Big Bang Theory was just a theory with little evidence, astronomers calculated that our Universe should be filled with Hydrogen, the most basic element, and Helium, number 2 on the Period Table of Elements. It took a while for the numbers to roll in, but they supported the hypothesis. The Universe is 75% hydrogen and 24% helium. The fusion of these elements created the first stars and from the first stars came every other element that makes up everything we see around us today. Another little video to help understand. Start it around the 2:00 minute mark to focus on the elements or watch the whole thing to better understand all 3 proofs.
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Lesson #7. Stars
Understanding what nuclear fusion is and how it differs from nuclear fission is very import. The short video on the right will explain the two concepts and will help get your mind around the power of nuclear fusion and the birth of stars. |
Understanding how stars are formed, and die, is fundamental to understanding some of the basic principles of the Universe. It explains how we have light, how all the elements in the Universe were formed, and indeed, how life was created on our planet. It is also a very complex process, so we'll start small with some slides and videos.
Finally, on the left, I have included our 2nd Threshold in our Big History Project. The critical event in our history is the Big Bang, and the creation of stars is next. |
Sometimes, it helps to have a nice summary video. I have included two below. A simpler one, and a more complex one. Both are very good are describing what happened, as well as the proof for what happened.
SIMPLE
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COMPLEX
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FINAL PROJECT
inquiry_major_project.docx | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
File Type: | docx |
inquiry_rubric.docx | |
File Size: | 19 kb |
File Type: | docx |