PHYSICAL

SCIENCES
MODULE FOR GRADE 11

MODULE 1: Big bang and the formation of

light and heavy elements

SHAIRA KAYE BEDUYA, LPT

Subject teacher

Email: bshaira076@gmail.com
 This module is good for two weeks FB: Shaira Kaye Beduya
Introduction

This Learning Module in Physical Science for Grade 12 learners is an

informative and engaging module designed to meet the needs of the 21st century
learners. Science and technology are the driving forces of changes in our world
today. They revolutionize all aspect of our lives, including communication,
transportation, medical care, the environment, politics and education.

To understand and fully participate in this transformation, it is important

that today’s students advance their knowledge of science. In addition to
increasing their understanding of the principles of science, it is imperative that
students know how science is truly conducted, and when, where and to what
science is applied. Equipped with this knowledge they can better adapt to their
environment and make inform decisions that ultimately affect their lives and the
lives of others.

The primary goal of Physical Science is to stimulate student’s interest in

science and to build a solid foundation of general knowledge in the physical
sciences. Additionally, it also continues to present the content in such a way that
students develop the critical reasoning and problem solving skills that are needed
in our ever-changing technological world. It is wholly anchored on the Most
Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) of the K-12 Basic Education Curriculum.

Specifically, this first module of the first quarter focuses on the Big Bang
theory and the formation of light and heavy elements that contains detailed
information and exercises necessary for mastery of knowledge on how the
universe was made and how it develops until what we have now in the present;
and how the light and heavy elements was created.

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 MODULE 1.1: Big Bang Theory and the Formation
of Light and Heavy Elements

Name________________________________________ Section: __________________

Good day my dearest students! How are you today? I hope you’re doing great!

Hey! Have you ever wondered how the universe and all the matters and
elements began? Do you know how galaxies, stars and planets were made? Do
you know how big the universe is? Yes! The universe is a very big place, and it’s
been around for a very long time. Thinking about how it all started is hard to
imagine. Everything we can see in our universe today—stars, planets, comets,
asteroids—they weren't there at the beginning. Where did they come from?
Fasten your seatbelts for in this module we are going to travel from the beginning
of everything 13.8 billion years ago, the beginning of nothingness.

Through this module you will learn new ideas and will deepen your
understanding about the universe and how elements are formed.

Specifically after completing the tasks of this module, you should be able
to:

A. Discuss the processes involve in the formation of elements:

A.1. big bang nucleosynthesis

A.2. stellar nucleosynthesis

A.3. supernova nucleosynthesis

B. explain the proofs for the big bang theory

B.1 redshift

B.2 CMB or Cosmic Microwave Background

B.3 relative abundance

C. conduct a short experiment about the big bang model

D. describes the big bang theory in a creative way.

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 MODULE 1.1: Big Bang Theory and the Formation
of Light and Heavy Elements

Let’s Discuss

Formation of elements…

 Observe the picture! Its spectacular right?

 Do you like watching fireworks display?
 What do you feel when you’re watching fireworks display?
 What do you think a firework made up of?
 Yes! It’s made up of a certain element that when burned it produces a certain color!
Amazing!
 We enjoyed fireworks during festive celebrations, in fact New Year celebration
would not be as enjoying without fireworks display!
 But the science behind fireworks is as interesting as its stunning color! The
CHEMICAL ELEMENTS!
 But have you tried asking yourself where all the chemical elements came from?
 How do elements form?
 Fasten your seatbelt for we are going to travel back, 13.8 billion years ago, the
beginning of everything!

Exactly ! I really wonder where all the elements came from! I really want to know how
and where elements were created!

 It all started with a BIG BANG!

 But first! I want you to free up your mind and focus on the process involving the
creation of our first elements. If it seems difficult, try to relax and analyze the beauty
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 of science especially in this topic lesson, help yourself and exert effort to learn my
student

The big bang theory is the cosmological model of how the universe was created from
the earliest period through its subsequent large scale.

 The big bang is how astronomers explain the way the universe began. It is the idea
that the universe began as just a single point, then expanded and stretched to grow
as large as it is right now (and it could still be stretching).

What’s the big bang all about?

 In 1927, an astronomer named Georges Lemaître had a big idea. He said that a

very long time ago, the universe started as just a single point. He said the
universe stretched and expanded to get as big as it is now, and that it could keep
on stretching

How did the universe expand?

 Do you really want to know? Do this short activity!

Prepare the following:

• Balloons
• Balloon pump (optional)
• Small stickers (any design)

Directions
a. Stick small stickers randomly on the surface of the uninflated balloon.
b. Quickly inflate the balloon with a pump or your breath. Observe the stickers.

c. Answer the following questions:

• Why do the stickers appear to be moving away from each other?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
________

• Are the stickers moving across the balloon?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
________

• Do the stickers themselves grow in size?

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__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
________

Nice activity, I want to know more!

 Some more information!
 Just two years later, an astronomer named Edwin Hubble noticed that other
galaxies were moving away from us. And that’s not all. The farthest galaxies were
moving faster than the ones close to us.
 This meant that the universe was still expanding, just like Lemaître thought. If
things were moving apart, it meant that long ago, everything had been close
together.
 Everything we can see in our universe today—stars, planets, comets, asteroids—
they weren't there at the beginning.

Where did planets and stars and asteroids and all the matters in the universe came
from?

 Good question my dear! I’m glad you asked

 It all started in a tiny, hot beginning!

 When the universe began, it was just hot, tiny particles mixed with light and energy.
It was nothing like what we see now. As everything expanded and took up more
space, it cooled down.
 The tiny particles grouped together. They formed atoms. Then those atoms grouped
together. Over lots of time, atoms came together to form stars and galaxies.
 The first stars created bigger atoms and groups of atoms called molecules. That led
to more stars being born. At the same time, galaxies were crashing and grouping
together. As new stars were being born and dying, then things like asteroids,
comets, planets, and black holes formed!
Wow! Amazing, but how did all of this take?

 Well! We now know that the universe is 13,800,000,000 years old—that’s 13.8

billion. That is a very long time.
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That’s very long time indeed!

 A very, very long time!

Is there any proof about the big bang model?

 Nice question! Of course we have!

 Actually, the standard big bang model has received broad acceptance because
experimental evidence supports it in three major areas:
 The redshift- Astronomers observe galaxies that show a shift in their spectrum lines
toward the low frequency (red) end of the electromagnetic spectrum. This redshift is
known as the cosmological red shift. It is not really a Doppler shift but rather a
lengthening in the wavelength as a consequence of the expansion of space. The
galaxies aren’t moving through space. Instead space itself is expanding and carrying
the galaxies along.
 Vesto Slipher and Carl Wilhelm Wirtz., 1910, discovered that the light from the
nebulae increased in wavelength.
 When an object moves away from us, its light waves are stretched into longer
wavelengths (red shifted) because red light has the longest wavelength in the visible
region.
 The redshift occurred due to the expansion of the space.


 The CMB or Cosmic Microwave Background- Astronomers detect a cosmic

background radiation in all directions coming from space. The presence of this
cosmic microwave background was predicted by the big bang theory. In 1965 the

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 background radiation was detected by two scientists at Bell Telephone Laboratories,
and it had exactly the properties predicted by the Big bang model. This residual
microwave radiation is the greatly red shifted radiation in the extremely hot
universe that existed about 400,000 years after the big bang.
 The relative abundance- Astronomers observe a mass ratio of hydrogen to helium
of 3 to 1 in stars and interstellar matter, a ratio predicted by the big bang model.

So Sir! What is the process involved in the formation of the elements?

 Just wait! It seems like you’re very excited! Well that’s great!
 BIG BANG NUCLOESYNTHESIS is the process involved in the formation of light
elements; actually we have 3 processes, the big bang nucleosynthesis, stellar
nucleosynthesis and supernova nucleosynthesis.
 Big bang nucleosynthesis is the process that occurs during the first few minutes of
the big bang and thus it forms the lightest elements.
 Stellar nucleosynthesis is the process of creating new elements up to Iron (Fe).
 Other elements heavier than iron was formed in the process called supernova
nucleosynthesis.

What is Nucleosynthesis?

 Nucleosynthesis is the process of creating new atomic nuclei from preexisting

nucleons (protons and neutrons).
 Let’s discuss the first nucleosynthesis which is the big bang nucleosynthesis.
 Are you ready? You should be ready. 

What happened in the big bang nucleosynthesis?

 Wait! Let us first define what a chemical element is.

 A chemical element is the building block of matter. It is composed of a single kind
of atom

Now where these chemical do really came from?

 Through the process of big bang nucleosynthesis, big bang nucleosynthesis

happened in a first few minutes after the big bang.

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  I n t h e e a r l y p a

massive energy brought by the big bang created the fundamental elements, such as
the quarks and leptons.
 Due to the relatively high temperature, these newly created fundamental elements
were moving so fast that the number of collisions happened but they weren’t able
to combine.
 As the temperature continue to decrease and due to expansion of the universe,
these fundamental particles were able then to interact and combine to form the
new atomic particle such as the protons and the neutrons.
 With the further decrease of the temperature, these atomic particles interact with
one another to form the first two elements in the universe, mainly the HYDROGEN
(H) and HELUIM (He).
 There are some traces of lithium and Beryllium due to the formation processes of
the first elements particularly one of the formation processes of helium (He) but the
early Lithium (Li) and Beryllium (Be) were unstable and they decay to form more
stable elements most likely Helium 4 (He4) or the isotopes of the first two elements.

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How helium (He) formed from the nucleosynthesis?

 The formation of helium may take three steps as shown in the illustration.


The first step involves the reaction of two separate protons and a neutron, which each create a
deuteron,
 A deuteron composed of a one proton and one neutron is the nucleon of deuterium (D) or
(2H), an isotope of hydrogen.
 The second step involves the reaction of two deuterons which result to and ejected neutron
and a formation of Helium-3,helium-3 is an isotope of helium-4 and is considered as one of
the most stable isotope in the universe

 The ejected neutron may interact with proton to form a deuteron or may interact with
another deuteron to form tritium which is another isotope of hydrogen.
 The third step is the interaction of helium-3 and a deuteron which will result to the
formation of helium-4 with two protons and two neutrons and an ejected proton.
 The ejected proton may interact with a neutron to form deuteron or may interact with
another deuteron to form helium-3.

 That’s how helium was created!

How hydrogen (H) was formed?

 Good question!
 On the other hand, hydrogen was created when a proton attracts an electron to
revolve around it, at first there were only few hydrogen atoms created, as the electrons
were still moving fast due to the relatively high temperature.

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  But as the temperature continue to decrease, these electrons gradually
slowdown, the proton had the higher chance to attract an electron.
 Because of the simplicity of this process, this is the reason why hydrogen is the

most abundant element in the universe.

 For the hydrogen atom, it attaches to another hydrogen atom thus forming a hydrogen
molecule
 These hydrogen molecules together with helium atoms clumped together to form molecular
dense clouds which are the ingredients in the formation of STARS.

 The stellar evolutions help us trace the formation of the other elements.

What is stellar nucleosynthesis?

 We will go through that! But let us first analyze the birth of the star.
 The life of the stars generally begins when a gravitational collapse of cool dense
molecular clouds happened. As these clouds collapse, they fragments into smaller
regions, each themselves contract to form stellar cores, the proto stars.

 These protostars rotate faster and increase in temperature as they
condense and further contract.
 As the protostar contracts, the central temperature increases to the point
of igniting a series of nuclear reaction, this also the beginning of the main
stages of the hydrostatic stellar evolution where the stellar
nucleosynthesis occurs.

What is stellar nucleosynthesis?

 Stellar nucleosynthesis is the creation of chemical elements by nuclear fusion

reactions within stars. Stellar nucleosynthesis has occurred since the original
creation of hydrogen, helium and lithium during the Big Bang. As a predictive theory,
it yields accurate estimates of the observed abundances of the elements.
 Stellar nucleosynthesis  is the process involving nuclear reactions through which fresh
atomic nuclei are synthesized from pre-existing nuclei or nucleons.

How stellar nucleosynthesis occur?

 The first stage of the series of nuclear reaction is called the hydrogen
burning stage where the hydrogen core is converted into heavier
elements,
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  The nuclear reaction that happened in this stage depends on the mass of the star.
 If the star is a low mass star, that means the star with mass less than eight times the
mass of our sun, proton-proton interaction or PPI takes place in converting the
hydrogen core into helium

 This interaction has 3 chains, 86% of nuclear reaction that occurs in this type of star
is in the chain 1 reaction and the remaining percentage is in the chain 2 and 3
reactions.

 The PPI reaction creates a new inner core which is made of helium, once
the hydrogen shell fusion is almost depleted, newly formed helium core
contracts thereby increasing the inner temperature and at the same
time increasing the energy generation rate of the hydrogen shell.
 With the increased energy generation rate of the hydrogen’s shell, this
causes the star to expand enormously in luminosity and size; the stars become a red
giant.
 The contracting helium core begins another nuclear reaction, and this is the helium
burning stage.
 At this stage the inner parts of the helium core is burn to create another
core made of carbon with some specs of oxygen via the triple alpha
process.

 An alpha particle is the nucleon of helium- 4 (4He) composed of 2 neutron and 2

protons.
 The last stage of the series of nuclear reaction for low mass star, as the low mass
star its source of energy generation, the two outermost shell, the hydrogen and
helium shells asynchronously contract and expand until such time these are disperse
from the star to form a planetary nebula.
 What is left is a white dwarf star which is the last inner core created in this stellar
evolution


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  For high mass stars, stars with masses eight times greater than our suns mass, carbon-
nitrogen, nitrogen-oxygen or CNNO bicycle also known as Carbon nitrogen oxygen cycle or

CNO cycle may takes place in the hydrogen burning stages.

 The series of nuclear reaction does not stop with carbon core in this type of star, it continues
until an iron core with some percentage of nickel is made.
 Once an iron core is made, no further reactions will follow. It is said that iron is the most

stable elements based on its mass per particle ratio .

How about the formation of the remaining elements heavier than iron?

 Good question! The remaining elements was created during the biggest fireworks display in
the universe, the SUPERNOVA, thus the name supernova nucleosynthesis
 Supernovae happened when high mass stars deplete its source of energy generation which
leads to explosive endings.
 In this stage of stellar evolution all elements were formed but almost all were unstable
which lead them to either decay into lighter, stable elements or they seize to exist.
 That’s it! That’s how our elements were formed! Amazing isn’t it?
 Next time you watch fireworks display, share it with your friends the science on
how the elements was formed and how amazing it is just like the fireworks you’re
watching!
 Do you have any questions regarding the topic? Consult me, your teacher! Good

MODULE 1.1: Big Bang Theory and the Formation


of Light and Heavy Elements
 day!

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 Let’s Practice
Test 1

Directions: briefly explain the following processes involved in the formation of elements (base on
your understanding)

A. big bang nucleosynthesis

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

B. stellar nucleosynthesis

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

C. Supernova nucleosynthesis

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

Test 2 Directions: briefly explain the three pieces of evidence presented for the big bang theory.
(Base on your understanding)

A. Redshift

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

B. CMB or Cosmic Microwave Background

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

C. Relative abundance

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_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

The Expanding Universe

This section explains how astronomers think the universe and the solar system
formed.

How the Universe Formed

1. The initial explosion that resulted in the formation and expansion of the
universe is called the .
2. When did the big bang occur?

3. Is the following sentence true or false? The farther away a galaxy is from us,
the faster it is moving away from us.

4. How is the universe like rising raisin bread dough?

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5. Radiation left over from the big bang is called .
6. How can astronomers infer approximately how long the universe has been
expanding?

Formation of the Solar System

7. About how long ago did our solar system form?
8. What events led to the birth of the sun?

9. How did planetesimals form planets?

The Future of the Universe

10. Describe two possibilities of what will happen to the universe in the future.
a.

and the Universe

Stars, Galaxies,
b.

11. Which possibility in #10 is more likely? Explain why.

Congratulations!
You have completed all the tasks in this module. Now you are
very prepared to learn new things on the next module.

God bless!

Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around
him and calls the adventure Science. - Edwin Powell Hubble
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