Worksheet 1.

4 The Big Bang Theory

Learning Objectives:

❑ Describe the timeline of the Big Bang

theory from singularity to stelliferous
era

❑ Explain how the Big Bang theory has

been used to determine the age of
the universe.

❑ Identify competing theories for the

Big Bang

SECTION 1 – THE BIG BANG STAGES

Stage Drawing space!

1) Singularity

• Current models have extrapolated back the

expansion of our universe to an initial time period
where the universe was infinitely hot and dense.
• In reality we have no way of knowing if this was
what our universe was like – our current laws of
physics are incomplete and cannot explain what
happened during this time.
• It is believed that the universe was so hot that all
four fundamental forces were unified into a single
superforce.
• The observable universe of today is believed to
occupied a space that is in total smaller than the
width of a proton.
2) Inflation

The ‘Bang’ in ‘Big Bang’

• For unknown reasons, the universe began to inflate
at an alarmingly high rate – faster than the speed of
light. We call this “inflation” rather than expansion to
emphasise how rapid this change was.
• Microscopic variations in density were amplified into
seeds that would later form the large-scale
structures of the universe.
• Then, in a fraction of a second, it stopped for
unknown reasons.
• If the expansion of today is said to be a “linear”
expansion rate, inflation was an “exponential”
expansion rate.
 3) The Dark Era

Let there be NO light!

• From 1 second to 2 minutes after inflation it is too
hot for anything larger than a quark to form.
• Once it cools, up to about 20 minutes larger particles
such as protons and neutrons are able to form and
fuse into heavier atomic nuclei such as helium.
Thousands of years later the first proper atoms start
to form.
• Until 380 000 years, the universe is too dense for
light to travel. If you were around at this time you
would not be able to see anything.

4) Baby Stars and Galaxies

• At this stage all the matter in the universe is in the

form of hydrogen or helium clouds.
• After about 200 million years the first stars have
begun to form due to the clouds of hydrogen
throughout the universe collapsing together due to
gravity.
• At 400 million years, the first known galaxy GN-z11
formed

5) The Modern Era

Also known as the ‘Stelliferous Era’

• From 1 billion years the universe looks very much
like it does today – however the observable universe
would be about 14 times smaller.
• The expansion of the universe continues, and stars
continue to be born and die in a continuous cycle.
• At around 8 billion years after The Big Bang, the
expansion started to accelerate, which continues to
this day.
SECTION 2 – THE AGE OF THE UNIVERSE

Hubble’s Constant, H0 is what is currently used to estimate the age of the universe. The best estimate of this constant
today is H0 = 67.4 kms-1 Mpc-1 (kilometers per second per mega-parsec). This constant can be used to estimate the age
of the universe.
km
First, we need to examine the units that up this constant: kms-1Mpc-1 → s ∙ Mpc

Both kilometers and Mega-parsecs are units of distance, therefore Hubble’s constant can be used to work out time!
1
1. Calculate 𝐻 to get a constant which has seconds on the numerator
0

1 1
=
𝐻0 67.4
= 0.0148368
s ∙ Mpc
= 1.48 x 102
km

2. Determine how many kilometers are in 1 mega parsec. Use the following data:
• 1 Mega parsec = 106 parsecs
• 1 parsec = 3.26 light years
• 1 light year = 9.461x1012 kilometers

ly km
Total kilometers = pc x 3.26 x 9.461 x 1012
pc ly
ly km
= 1 𝑥 106 pc x 3.26 x 9.461 x 1012
pc ly
km
= 3.08 𝑥 1019
Mpc

3. Multiply your answers from questions 1 and 2 together – this should be the age of the universe in seconds!

distance
Age =
speed
s ∙ Mpc km
= 1.48 x 102 x 3.08 x 1019
km Mpc
= 4.57 𝑥 1017 𝑠

4. Covert the age of the universe in seconds into an age in billions of years.

𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠

Age = 4.57 𝑥 1017 𝑠 ÷ 60 ÷ 60 ÷ 24 ÷ 365
𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠
= 14.5 x 109 years
SECTION 3 – ALTERNATIVE THEORIES

Theory 3: Cyclic Universe (Conformal

Theory 1: Steady State Universe Theory 2: Eternal Inflation
Cyclic Cosmology)

What the
theory says

Evidence
for

Evidence
against