Origins & EMS

Unravel the universe's origin story! Big Bang Theory & EMS worksheet for 8th graders.

Origins Of The Universe What is a Theory (Slide 2) A well tested explanationThe best explanationTested and supported with evidence Big Bang Theory (Slide 3) 14 billion years ago ALL of the matter in the universe existed in one single point in space and time.There was no light, no space, and no time.Nothing existed the way it does today. Inflation (Slide 4) When: The beginning of time (14 bya)What: the superfast expansion of energy and space Protons and Neutrons (Slide 5-6) After the universe was ONE SECOND old, it was cool enough for the formation of protons and neutrons3 minutes after inflation the protons and neutrons clumped together for the formation of atomic nuclei The First Elements (Slide 7) 379,000 years after the Big Bang the Hydrogen and Helium nuclei attracted electrons and made the first atoms. The First Elements (Slide 8-10) Gravity pulls the hydrogen and helium atoms into enormous clouds of gas and dust.The clouds are pulled far apart from one another for 100 million years.100 million years after the Big Bang the first stars and planets were formed. Evidence for the Big Bang (Slide 12) There are 3 Big Pieces of Evidence for the Big Bang Theory:Background Radiation: An echo from the Big BangAbundance of Elements: The large amount of Hydrogen and Helium in outer spaceDistance of Galaxies: The distance and movement of galaxies away from each other Background Radiation (Slide 13-16) The first atoms were formed 379,000 years after the Big Bang.The process of atom formation released an incredible burst of energy.This energy released billions of degrees of heat.Scientists hypothesized that the temperature was so hot that the universe is STILL cooling.The burst of energy was so powerful that it left an echo or fingerprint behind.In 1964, Penzias and Wilson accidentally discovered the echo!They worked on a very sensitive radio telescope. The telescope picked up unexplainable radio static.It was later concluded that the static was an echo from the Big Bang.This is called the W-Map.It is a map of the left over radiation from the Big Bang.It shows the temperature of the entire universe.A small fraction of the static you hear on the radio and see on the TV is an echo from the Big Bang! Abundance of H and He (Slide 17-18) Gamow hypothesized that the heat and energy of the Big Bang created all of the Hydrogen and Helium in the Universe.He also helped prove that today 99% of the Universe is made of Hydrogen and Helium.It makes sense that most of the universe is Hydrogen and Helium, because these two atoms are the smallest and would have been the easiest to build. Distance of Galaxies (Slide 19-20) Most galaxies are moving away from EarthGalaxies that are farther away are moving fasterThe universe is expanding!If all galaxies are moving away from each other now, then they must have been closer together a long time ago. Distance of Galaxies (Slide 21-23) Sir Edwin Hubble Discovered that most galaxies are moving away from earth.Proposed that if all matter in space is moving away now, then it must have all started moving from the same spot…HUBBLE’S LAW!The stars moving the fastest are the farthest away. (The distance of the star is proportional to its redshift).The Doppler Effect is one way we can see the speed that galaxies are moving away.Objects moving towards us have a blue shift in the electromagnetic spectrum they emitObjects moving away us have a red shift in the electromagnetic spectrum they emit Redshift (Slide 24) This shift is observable in both sound and light.Humans can easily hear it without special equipment. Electromagnetic Spectrum Electromagnetic Spectrum (Slide 2) The entire range of electromagnetic waves from low frequency to high frequencyElectromagnetic waves are forms of light energy that travel the speed of lightUsed for many purposes in daily life – help astronomers gain information about the universe7 categories – radio waves, microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, x-rays, and gamma rays Radio Waves (Slide 3) Lowest frequency and longest wavelength of all electromagnetic wavesAble to be picked up by an antenna and sent through wires to produce soundUsed for broadcasting, satellites, radar, and navigation systems Microwaves (Slide 4) A form of radio wave with the shortest wavelength and highest frequencyAble to penetrate food and cause it to get hotUsed for cooking food, mobile phone signals, Wi-Fi, and traffic speed cameras Infrared Rays (Slide 5) Shorter wavelength and higher frequency than microwavesCan be felt as heat from an incandescent light bulbUsed for handheld remote controls, keeping cafeteria food warm, and thermal imaging Visible Light (Slide 6) The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye is able to seeHumans see these waves as the colors of the rainbowROYGBIV – red has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest wavelength Ultraviolet Rays (Slide 7) Invisible rays that are a part of the energy that comes from the SunCan be beneficial or harmful to humansUsed for sterilizing surgical equipment and treating jaundiceToo much exposure to ultraviolet rays from the Sun or tanning beds can lead to severe sunburns and skin cancer X-Rays (Slide 8) Very short wavelength that is able to pass through many opaque materialsAble to penetrate the human body and be absorbed by bones to produce an imageToo much exposure can cause cell damage and cancerUsed for medical imaging and airport security Gamma Rays (Slide 9) Highest frequency and shortest wavelength of all electromagnetic wavesContains the greatest amount of energyGamma rays are given off by stars and some radioactive substancesUsed to help diagnose cancer and kill cancer cells Identify the type of wave that would be located at Point A below. Radio Waves Microwaves Infrared Rays Visible Light Ultraviolet Rays X-Rays Gamma Rays Identify the type of wave that would be located at Point B below. Radio Waves Microwaves Infrared Rays Visible Light Ultraviolet Rays X-Rays Gamma Rays