Big Bang Theory Essay Nick Ball Lovett 1 3/28/17

Big Bang Theory

One of the many explanations for the creation of the universe is the Big Bang, which states the

universe began as a very dense and hot point, which eventually expanded and cooled in the

observable universe we see today. This event occurred around 13.7 billion years ago, which is

reported as the beginning of the universe. Since that time, when the universe was supposedly

only a few millimeters across, it has been continuously expanding.

As shown in the image on the left, the

universe started as a small point, and has

expanded (also known as inflated) from

miniscule size to the observable universe we

now see today. This expansion helps to prove

the theory, because if the universe is growing,

then it must have started from a smaller point. A common misconception about the theory, is that

the universe started from a massive explosion; this is false. The universe started from a very

large amount of condensed energy, which eventually expanded very quickly, but this was not an

explosion.

Expansion

Based on multiple pieces of evidence, the universe has been proved to be expanding, growing

beyond its current size. The explanation of this, is that the initial force of the Big Bang was so

great, it caused the universe to very quickly expand, and the remnants of that force are still in
play, causing the universe to grow still. The image on the right compares the universe to an

expanding balloon. As the balloon grows, the distance between the drawn galaxies expands

further, and the density of the overall universe lessens, much like the trends we see in galaxies

today. Also, the image illustrates the

idea of Red Shifting, which of the

process of light waves being stretched,

resulting in lower frequencies, longer

wavelengths, and a shift towards the

red light side of the light spectrum. As

the universe expands, it causes light

waves to become longer, which results

in red shifting of light. Evidence has shown that light waves are being red shifted, proving that

something is causing them to stretch. As stated above, this expansion strengthens the theory,

because the universe would have to be expanding from a smaller point.

Creation of Elements

Our universe is made up of over 100 different elements, each with a different atomic makeup

and characteristics. The universe contains very high levels of Hydrogen, Helium, and Lithium,

the three simplest elements. As shown on the periodic table on the next page, these elements

have 1, 2, and 3 protons and electrons respectively. Shortly after the Big Bang, roughly 10

seconds to 20 minutes, electrons and protons were flying around randomly, because the universe

was too hot for them to combine. But, as the universe cooled, they were able to combine, in what

is known as Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. During this amount of time, very high levels of
Hydrogen and Helium were created, which now make up roughly 74% and 25% respectively.

But, as one moves through the periodic table, the elements get more complex, and were not able

to be created during nucleosynthesis. These heavier elements, such as iron, cobalt, and uranium,

were created through the explosion of stars, and the resulting supernovae that were formed. Since

the creation of stars didnt come until much later after nucleosynthesis, these elements were

created until much later, which

allowed for very high levels of simple

elements to be created before that

time. This helps to explain the theory,

because it states the universe must

have been in a hotter, denser state

before, allowing for large amounts of

simple elements to be created before

complex ones.

Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (known as CMBR) is the overall electromagnetic

radiation left behind by the massive energy released from the Big Bang, which has slowly cooled

and can be observed today. When the universe was relatively very young, around 378,000 years

old, it was filled with a white hot opaque plasma, made out of hydrogen. As the universe

expanded, this gas also expanded, cooling down and turning transparent; this gas is now known

as the CMBR. When the universe was one-millionth the size it is today, the CMBR was around

273 million degrees kelvin above absolute 0, but since the universe has greatly expanded from
that point, the CMBR is now around 2.7 degrees kelvin above absolute 0. This radiation

strengthens the theory, because the radiation through the universe is incredibly uniform. The

image on the left shows the CMBR throughout the universe, taken by a microwave telescope.

The different colors show the different temperatures of the universe, which are only around 400

micro kelvins apart. The uniformity of this radiation leads to evidence that states this radiation

must have come from the same source, which would be where the universe started.

Structure and Galaxy Formation

Eventually, matter began to be created in the universe, which resulted in gravity. Gravity is

known as the distortion of spacetime, which results in every object made of matter to pull other

objects towards it. As this matter began to clump towards each other, it created large masses of

gas, which eventually resulted in stars. These stars eventually died, exploded, become black

holes, and the left over matter created more stars, which pulled more gas to that location. All this

gas eventually formed more stars, which amassed over time into what we see as galaxies today.

But, one would think that the galaxies wouldnt stay together, due to the fact that the universe is

expanding, which would eventually pull them apart. Since all of the galaxies are made of matter,

this doesnt occur because the galaxies hold themselves together due to the distortion of

spacetime. The image below shows how different galaxies are formed from different densities of

gas.

Sources:
Image 1- http://www.universetoday.com/54756/what-is-the-big-bang-theory/
Image 2- http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2014/05/30/ask-ethan-39-why-does-light-
stretch-as-the-universe-expands-synopsis/
Image 3- http://sciencenotes.org/printable-periodic-table/
Image 4- http://astro.kias.re.kr/CMBR/index2.html
Image 5- http://daisy.astro.umass.edu/~myun/teaching/a100_old/longlecture20.html