Revision - Big Bang Questions

8/12/2019 Revision - Big Bang Questions

1/5

Radiation & the Big Bang!

Students may indicate learning when they:1. Properties of light

travels in straight lines

travels through a vacuum

can be transmitted, reflected and absorbed2.

Relate frequency, wavelength and speed using v=f.

3.

Recall the reflection of light and identify everyday examples of reflection.4.

Recall how light is refracted when it passes from one medium to another and identify

everyday examples

5.

Distinguish between the different types of radiation that make up the Electromagnetic

Spectrum.

6. Explain radioactivity in terms of the release of particles & energy from the nuclei of

atoms i.e. alpha & beta particles and gamma radiation

7. Use the Geiger counter to investigate the penetrating power of different types of

radiation.

8. List benefits and problems of nuclear energy in medicine & industry.

9.

Give sources & receptors of different electromagnetic radiation types.

10.

Identify that some types of electromagnetic radiation are used to provide informationabout the universe. e.g. radio, infra-red, light, x-ray & gamma ray.

11. Describe some of the difficulties in obtaining information about the universe.

12.

Summarise the big-bang theory about the origin of the universe.

13. Relate some major features of the universe to the Big Bang Theory.

14. Describe some changes that are likely to take place in the life of a star.


2/5

REVISION QUESTIONSRADIATION AND THE BIG BANG

1. Why is the fact that light can travel through a vacuum important for astronomers?

As space is a va cu um if th e EM spec trum requ ir ed a me di um th en there wou ld be no

information coming back to earth.

EM spectrum so it is a wave. Light also has properties of a particle where the

ph ot ons can move

3. What does absorption of light mean?

Stopping light is absorption. What you see when you look at an object is the light

that bounces off it.

4. Looking at a green leaf how does absorption explain what you see.

The green of the leaf is not absorbed. All other colours are absorbed but the green is

reflected back.

5. If you were living on a planet 100 light years away from earth and had a very powerful telescope what

would you see when you looked at life on earth? Explain your answer.

Life as it was 100 years ago .

6. What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength on the EM spectrum. What are theunits for frequency and wavelength? What is the relationship between frequency and energy?

As the wavele ng th is grea te r (r ad io wa ve s) the frequ en cy is l

The higher the

7. Calculate the following to fill in the gap use the formula v=f. Include the units.

v f v f 10 100 500 2

10 2000 3000 3

2,000,000 10,000 60000 2000

8. Draw and label a diagram that shows reflection.

Include on the diagram angle of incidence, angle of reflection.


3/5

9. Give some everyday examples of reflection

Light reflected from the concave casing of a car light to enhance its beam.

10. What does refraction mean? Draw and label a diagram that explains refraction ensuring thatyou label the medium. What happens to the speed of light as it is refracted?

The denser the medium the light bends towards the normal.

Light moving into a denser medium slows down. Diagram to show angle of

refraction, angle of incidence, normal, mediums.

11. What are some everyday examples of refraction?Concave and convex lenses used in glasses.

in radio telescope parabolic dishes to focus the information onto a receive.

13. What does EM stand for and name at least 4 types of radiation in the spectrum.

Electromagnetic. Radio, microwaves, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays and

gamm a ra ys .

14. Is the speed of radio waves the same as gamma rays?

Yes it travels at the speed of light 3x10 8

15. What are the three particles released in radioactive material. Fill in the table and provide

descriptive information on the composition of each, their charge, distance travelled in air and how it

can be stopped. Rate its energy output.

Name Composition Charge Penetrating power Energy level

16. What breaks down in radioactive material?Nucleus


4/5

17. What instrument do you use to measure radioactivity?

Geiger Counter detects and measures the intensity of radiation

18. List the benefits and problems of nuclear energy

Benefits radioactive isotopes for medicine, power stations

Problems disposal of waste, use as bombs

19. How would you receive information from different EM radiation types

AM, FM ra dio, TV , te les cope,

20. How would generate different EM radiation types

Radio station, nuclear power plant, light sources

21. What are some of the difficulties an astronomer faces in obtaining information about the

universe.

The Earth's atmosphere acts as a filter to remove radiation such as cosmic rays,

gamm a ra ys , x-ray s, UV rays, and lar ge porti onsof the electromagnetic spectrum.

The gases, water vapour, and dust matter absorb and scatter the EM radiation.

Diffracts light.

22. Name a type of EM radiation and the information that it can provide about the universe.

Radio TelescopeInfrared Telescope - Sees heat of objects too cold to glow in visible spectrum

Telescope visible light - Hubble Space telescope avoids the the blurring of starlight

by our atmosphere

Ultra violet - Study young stars through the study of the lightest elements (hydrogen

and deuterium) created shortly after the Big Bang.

X-Ray - De co de mo lecu lar st ructur e of su bst ances , what pl ane ts ar e made of, heat

(temp) of stars, black holes.

Gamma - Integral catches a new erupting black hole through a rare kind of gamma-

ray outburst

23. Explain what you understand of the Big Bang in relation to the origin of the universe

The big bang was not an explosion but refers to the expansion of space itself.

As space expan ds the n ever yt hin g conta in ed wit hin space is sprea ding ap ar t fr om

everything else.

At th e ea rlie st mo me nt s of the big bang, all of the ma tt er , en er gy and space was

compressed to an area of zero volume and infinite density.

Cosmologists call this a singularity.

Initially it was so hot matter could not form.


5/5

24. What are two points of evidence used to support the Big Bang

Doppler Effect: The red shift from longer wavelenghts indicates that the object is

moving away from the observer. Edwin Hubble found all objects in deep space had a

doppler shift relative to earth. Hubble studied 46 galaxies and found discovered that

there were far more galaxies in the red than the blue spectrum. Hubble concluded

from th is that the un iv erse is const ant ly expand in g out ward s an d ca lcu la te d the

rate of this expansion.

Background radiation - Penzias and Wilson, accidently discovered a wierd

microwave signal coming from whatever direction you look in. If the Big Bang

theory was true it must have scattered not only the matter that condensed into

galax ie s bu t also re lease d a tr em en dous bl as t of ra diati on. Th is Ba ckgr ou nd

Radiation became evidence for the Big Bang.

25. Describe the phases in the life of a star

Stars form in clouds of gas.

Heat from nuclear fusion, and gravity balance.

When the hydrogen fuel runs out, a Red Giant is formed.For Sun-like stars, a White Dwarf and Planetary Nebula are left.

For massive stars, a Supernova explosion leaves behind a Supernova Remnant and a

Neutron Star or perhaps even a Black Hole.

Documents

Revision - Big Bang Questions