THEORIES

ABOUT THE
FORMATION OF
THE UNIVERSE
THE BIG BANG THEORY
 The Big bang Theory remains to be the
prevailing cosmological model for the early
development of the universe.
 It provides the best explanation of the origin
of the universe and is implicitly accepted.
 The universe was once very small and very
hot, and then it expanded over time until it
reached its peak, around 13.7 billion years
ago ( considered the age of the universe).
THE BIG BANG THEORY
 The Big Bang model also asserts that
seconds after the explosion, the
surroundings were at a high temperature
of about 10 billion degrees Fahrenheit (5.5
billion Celcius) with aggregates of
fundamental particles such as neutrons,
electrons and protons.
 As the universe cooled in later phases,
these particles either combined with each
THE BIG BANG THEORY
 other or decayed.
 The universe was also said to continue to
expand over the next 13 billion years until
the present.
STEADY STATE THEORY
 Thistheory states that the universe is
always expanding in a constant average
density.
 Because of this state, matter is
continuously created to form cosmic or
celestial bodies such as stars and
galaxies.
 The older bodies that were formed are no
longer easily observable as a
consequence of their huge distances
STEADY STATE THEORY
 and rate of recession.
 This theory further claims that the universe
has no beginning or end in time, and
even though it is expanding, its
appearance remains the same over time.
STEADY STATE THEORY
 Toward the 1960’s, much evidence was
produced that would contradict the
steadiness or the unchanging state of the
universe.
 When certain galactic bodies such as
quasars and radio galaxies were found
only at far distances in space, it just
disproved the idea that similar bodies are
created and found everywhere. This
implies that the universe is actually
evolving and not steady.
COSMIC INFLATION THEORY
 Most recent cosmic inflation theory
proposed by physicists Alan Guth and
Andrei Linde in the 1980s.
 Inflation refers to the rapid expansion of
space-time.
 The early universe was a rapidly
expanding bubble of pure vacuum
energy.
 It did not have any matter or radiation.
COSMIC INFLATION THEORY
 Afterthe expansion and cooling arising
from this inflation, the potential energy
converted into kinetic energy of matter
and radiation.
 A big bang occurred because of the
extremely hot, dense condition of matter.
Why was cosmic inflation theory
became an accepted hypothesis?
 Homogeneity of objects in space
 Its appearance of flatness or smoothness
 The third puzzling observation has something to do
with the formation of stars and star systems in later
years.
 The theory asserts that during expansion,
small density fluctuations happen. This causes
gravity to attract gas into masses, giving birth to
stars and eventually galaxies. This also explains
why the universe would always look full of
planetary objects instead of appearing
completely empty.
NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS
 Developed by Immanuel Kant and Pierre
– Simon Laplace
 Model used to explain the formation and
evolution of the solar system.
 Around 4.6 billion years ago, a star system
was formed from a rotating gas cloud or
nebula of extremely hot gas.
 When the gas cooled, the nebula began
to shrink, and as it became smaller,
NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS
 itrotated faster, forming a disklike shape.
 As the nebula continued to shrink, these
rings condensed into various densities of
planets and their satellites.
 The remaining part of the nebula, which
had the most mass, formed the sun.
The Planetesimal and Tidal
Theories
 Developed by Thomas Chamberlin and
Forest Moulton, James Jeans and Harold
Jeffreys
 A star supposedly passed close to the sun
 The gravitational pull of the passing star
raised tides found on the surface of the
sun
 Some of the smaller masses quickly
cooled to become solid bodies called
planetesimals.
The Planetesimal and Tidal Theories
 Others grew in size because of collision
with passing objects in space, eventually
forming larger clumps and gathering
more and more matter.
 These theories are backed up by old
meteorites found on Earth, chemically
dating back 4.56 billion years – the time
approximated to be the formation of the
solar system.
The Planetesimal and Tidal
Theories
 From both theories, the formation of
planets was explained.
 There are 4 inner planets – Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars, (terrestrial planets
because they have solid surfaces made
of silicate rocks and metals) ,that are
much smaller than the other outer planets
– Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
(giant gas planets made up of helium and
hydrogen) that make up the sun.
 QUIZ
 1. It is the prevailing cosmological model for the
early development of the universe and the best
explanation of the origin of the universe.
 2. It refers to the rapid expansion of space –
time.
 3. The Scientist who first proposed the steady
state theory.
 4. It was the model used to explain the
formation and evolution of the solar system.
 5. This theory states that the universe is always
expanding in a constant average density.
 6. – 9. What are the four terrestrial planets?
(in proper order)
 10. – 13. What are the four gas planets?
 14. This is the theory wherein the formation of
planets was explained.
 15. The physicist who proposed the most
recent cosmic inflation theory.