The Universe Revision Notes
Origins of the universe
Scientific and non scientific explanations
- Some explanations cannot be tested scientifically.
- We often fill in gaps in our knowledge and try to explain the “unexplainable” using myths
and the supernatural.
- Many cultures believe the creation of the universe involved a God.
Supernatural: something attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of
nature, i.e not scientific
Creation myths: cultural, traditional or religious myths which describe the beginning of the
universe.
Geocentric vs Heliocentric models - science uses models to explain the solar system and
universe
- Geocentric model: the earth is at the center of the solar system
- Heliocentric model: the sun is at the center of solar system
The geocentric model (pre-1500s)
Ptolemy proposed the geocentric (Earth-centered) model. People believed this because:
● They could see the Sun and stars moving in the sky
● They could not feel the Earth moving
● It appealed to our own sense of importance
● Religious beliefs.
Problems: sometimes planets appear to be moving backwards (a retrograde motion). Epicycles
(small orbits within orbits) were proposed by Ptolemy to explain this motion.
The heliocentric model (post 1500s)
- Copernicus proposed the heliocentric (sun-centered) model in 1543. He proposed that
Earth, like other planets, revolved around the sun. He was ignored as his defied common
sense, and at the time was less accurate than Ptolemy’s geocentric model.
Occam’s Razor
- If there are two comeptitng theories, which fit all the available evidence, then all things
being equal, the simpler one ( the one with the least new assumptions) is more likely to
be correct. It does not guarantee the right answer, but it does usually point us towards
the correct one.
Why did the Occam’s Razor not work for Copernicus?
- At that time, even though the heliocentric model was simpler, it had insufficient evidence,
could not explain elliptical orbits if the planets and was contrary to general and religious
beliefs at the time. The geocentric model was still a stronger argument and all things
were not equal.
Accepting the heliocentric model
- Better observation (with better telescopes)
The big bang theory
- The universe has a finite age and began with several chemical reactions that led to the
creation of the universe
- In this reaction all energy, matter, space and time were created
- It states that the Universe is finite, dynamic and non-uniform.
- Evidence for big bang, red shift, determine the age of the universe, formation of chemical
elements
Steady state theory
- Was put forth by holy in 1920
- Suggests that the universe is Unchanging and dynamic
- The universe is infinite there is no beginning or end to time
Hubble's constant
- allowed scientists to calculate the age of the universe as well as when the big bang
occurred
The speed of light
- In 1676, Roemer demonstrated that light has a finite speed by observing one of Jupiter’s
moons. After centuries of increasingly precise measurements, we now know that light
travels in straight lines at a speed of 3 x 108 m/s. The concept of the light year is used to
measure very large distances.
- Light year: the distance travelled by light in one year, which is 9.46 x 1015 m in one year.
So sunlight takes 8 seconds to reach the Earth.
Developments in theoretical knowledge
- Developments in theoretical mathematical knowledge such as relativity have led to
refinements in the model of the Universe.
Newton’s Law of Gravitation
- Newton’s work on gravitation in the late 1600s, advanced the quantitative analysis of the
Universe and identified the force responsible for the motion of the planets (gravity).
- them. It gave a reason for the motion of planets he observed, and identified gravity as
the force responsible for the motion: “gravity is the force that guides the movements and
interactions of all the celestial bodies”.
Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity
- While laws do not explain “why”, theories do. Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity in
1905 provided an explanation of Newton’s Law of Gravitation.
- Newton’s laws were good at making predictions on Earth but did not work well in space.
- Einstein’s Theory of Relativity solved these problems and led to refinements in the model
of the Universe.
- The Theory predicted that the spacetime around Earth would be warped and
twisted by the planet’s rotation and that this shaping of spacetime affected how
objects moved through it.
Olber’s Paradox
- Olber challenged Newton’s model of the Universe, which led to different models being
proposed.
Newtons: the Universe is infinite in both space and time, uniform and static.
Olber: if this were true then the night sky would be blindingly bright as there would be an infinite
number of stars in an infinite amount of space. But the sky is dark at night. The dark night sky
did not fit with Newton’s infinite, static universe model.
Paradox: a contradictory statement – something that doesn’t make sense, but that may turn out
to
be true. A possible solution to this paradox was that the “missing” starlight was absorbed by
cosmic dust. But the dust would heat up and re-radiate the light.
Other explanations for Olber’s paradox and the dark night sky:
1. The universe is not static, but expanding. This stretches the light from distant galaxies,
increasing the wavelength to the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum, becoming invisible to
the human eye. This is known as red shift.
2. The universe has a finite age. When we see a star in the sky, we see it as it was when the
light was first emitted, due to the finite speed of light. The light from very distant stars still hasn’t
reached us.
Galaxies 1.2
Telescope
- Used to observe distant objects
- First invented in 1609
- Have developed significantly over the years
Electromagnetic spectrum
- Electromagnetic energy travels in waves
- Spans from very long radio waves to very short gamma rays
- Radio waves, microwaves, infare, ultraviolet, x-ray, gamma rays
Stars 1.3
- Temperature so high that nuclear fusion occurs, producing energy
- Hydrostatic equilibrium - outward pressure of gas heated fusion is balanced by the
inward pull of gravity, leaving the stars in hydrostatic equilibrium
Classification
- Classified according to their appearance and interpreted more quantitatively in graphs of
luminosity, size and temperature, called Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams.
Luminosity - a measure of how much energy leaves a star in a certain period of time. For stars
that are equal distances from the earth, the more luminous a star, the brighter it is.
HR diagrams
- Shows the relation between stars’ luminosity (that is how, bright they are) and their
temperature (how hot they are). These diagrams are not pictures or maps of the
locations of the stars
How do we know which elements are in different stars
- Light from distant stars gives evidence of the elements found in the stars
- Different elements emit different colors of light
- Composition is usually determined via spectroscopy.
- Each element gives off a unique signature of specific wavelengths of light, which are
observed as bright line in its spectrum
Spectral line - a line showing the emission or absorption of of light at a single wavelength,
caused by electrons of an excited atom, element or molecule moving between energy levels.
Redshift
- Provides evidence that the universe is still expanding
- Redshift is used to determine and observe how much the universe is expanding this is
done by observing changes in spectral lines
What does light tell us about stars
- Composition
- Velocity
- temperature
Solar system 1.4
