Question 1

The universe was two minutes old when ________ started to form from deuterium fusion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The universe was two minutes old when...

Question 2

Before about 4 billion years ago the universe was:

Accepted Answer

A) radiation dominated. 
B) quark dominated. 
C) lepton dominated. 
D) matter dominated. 
E) dark energy dominated. 
A) radiation dominated. 
B) quark dominated. 
C) lepton dominated. 
D) matter dominated. 
E) dark energy dominated.

Question 3

Why was the separation of the superforce into three forces so important?

Accepted Answer

The pressure release created t

Question 4

Primordial nucleosynthesis refers to the Big Bang making all elements up to iron.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The universe expanded by a factor of $10^{50}$ during inflation, when the strong force separatedfrom the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

The horizon problem relates to the isotropy of the microwave background radiation.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Pair production can occur if:

Accepted Answer

A) the energy of two photons is greater than the combined mass-energy of a particle-antiparticlepair. 
B) only virtual particles are produced. 
C) photons are at the event horizon of a black hole. 
D) one particle is struck by a sufficiently high energy photon that a pair of electrons is formed. 
E) the particle and antiparticle have opposite spins. 
A) the energy of two photons is greater than the combined mass-energy of a particle-antiparticlepair. 
B) only virtual particles are produced. 
C) photons are at the event horizon of a black hole. 
D) one particle is struck by a sufficiently high energy photon that a pair of electrons is formed. 
E) the particle and antiparticle have opposite spins.

Question 8

How hot was the universe at time zero?

Accepted Answer

A) 2.73 K 
B) 5, 800 K 
C) 16, 000 K 
D)  $1032 \mathrm {~K}$ 
E) We have no theory capable to addressing this question. 
A) 2.73 K 
B) 5, 800 K 
C) 16, 000 K 
D)  $1032 \mathrm {~K}$ 
E) We have no theory capable to addressing this question.

Question 9

The period from about 100 seconds up to 15 minutes after the Big Bang is the:

Accepted Answer

A) Radiation Era. 
B) Lepton Epoch. 
C) Nuclear Epoch. 
D) Decoupling Epoch. 
E) Matter Era. 
A) Radiation Era. 
B) Lepton Epoch. 
C) Nuclear Epoch. 
D) Decoupling Epoch. 
E) Matter Era.

Question 10

During the nuclear epoch, the temperatures were:

Accepted Answer

A) higher than $10^{32} \mathrm {~K} .$ 
B) about a trillion degrees. 
C) comparable to the temperatures inside giant stars today. 
D) less than 10 million K. 
E) between 3,000 and 16,000 K. 
A) higher than $10^{32} \mathrm {~K} .$ 
B) about a trillion degrees. 
C) comparable to the temperatures inside giant stars today. 
D) less than 10 million K. 
E) between 3,000 and 16,000 K.

Question 11

Which of these seems the best present answer to the horizon and flatness problems?

Accepted Answer

A) The superforce rules creation. 
B) Dark Energy speeds the universe on out to infinity. 
C) symmetry in creation of particles and antiparticles 
D) the inflationary epoch 
E) the GUT theory 
A) The superforce rules creation. 
B) Dark Energy speeds the universe on out to infinity. 
C) symmetry in creation of particles and antiparticles 
D) the inflationary epoch 
E) the GUT theory

Question 12

The majority of dark matter is probably not protons and neutrons.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Currently, most of the mass of the matter of the universe is believed to consist of:

Accepted Answer

A) baryonic matter, made up of protons and neutrons. 
B) tachyonic matter, travelling only faster than the speed of light. 
C) dark matter not made of protons and neutrons. 
D) dark energy. 
E) tiny but very numerous black holes. 
A) baryonic matter, made up of protons and neutrons. 
B) tachyonic matter, travelling only faster than the speed of light. 
C) dark matter not made of protons and neutrons. 
D) dark energy. 
E) tiny but very numerous black holes.

Question 14

What is the antimatter problem in pair production?

Accepted Answer

Where did the antiparticles go

Question 15

Gravity becomes separate from the other forces at the:

Accepted Answer

A) decoupling Event, about a million years after the Big Bang. 
B) end of the Planck Era, about $10 - 43$ seconds after the Big Bang. 
C) end of the Inflationary Epoch, about $10 - 32$ seconds into creation. 
D) beginning of particle production, about .0001 seconds into the universe. 
E) end of electron production, about a minute after creation. 
A) decoupling Event, about a million years after the Big Bang. 
B) end of the Planck Era, about $10 - 43$ seconds after the Big Bang. 
C) end of the Inflationary Epoch, about $10 - 32$ seconds into creation. 
D) beginning of particle production, about .0001 seconds into the universe. 
E) end of electron production, about a minute after creation.

Question 16

The critical temperature above which pair production can occur is called the:

Accepted Answer

A) Chandrasekhar Limit. 
B) Cosmological Constant. 
C) fusion temperature. 
D) threshold temperature. 
E) event horizon. 
A) Chandrasekhar Limit. 
B) Cosmological Constant. 
C) fusion temperature. 
D) threshold temperature. 
E) event horizon.

Question 17

Of the normal elements around us, the Big Bang produced:

Accepted Answer

A) none, only energy. 
B) only hydrogen. 
C) hydrogen and helium. 
D) all elements up to iron. 
E) all elements in much their present proportions. 
A) none, only energy. 
B) only hydrogen. 
C) hydrogen and helium. 
D) all elements up to iron. 
E) all elements in much their present proportions.

Question 18

What key event happened during the decoupling epoch?

Accepted Answer

A) Pairs of neutrons and protons were created. 
B) Electrons and positrons were created. 
C) Expansion cooled the universe enough that protons could capture electrons in orbit. 
D) Dark energy accelerated the cosmos on to infinity. 
E) The universe underwent a brief period of very rapid expansion. 
A) Pairs of neutrons and protons were created. 
B) Electrons and positrons were created. 
C) Expansion cooled the universe enough that protons could capture electrons in orbit. 
D) Dark energy accelerated the cosmos on to infinity. 
E) The universe underwent a brief period of very rapid expansion.

Question 19

Quarks are made up of subatomic particles, such as protons and electrons.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Most of the deuterium that formed right after the Big Bang:

Accepted Answer

A) is still around today. 
B) broke down into electrons and neutrons. 
C) turned into dark matter. 
D) quickly burned into helium nuclei. 
E) was found in the globular clusters. 
A) is still around today. 
B) broke down into electrons and neutrons. 
C) turned into dark matter. 
D) quickly burned into helium nuclei. 
E) was found in the globular clusters.

Exam 27: The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

The universe was two minutes old when ________ started to form from deuterium fusion.

Before about 4 billion years ago the universe was:

Why was the separation of the superforce into three forces so important?

Primordial nucleosynthesis refers to the Big Bang making all elements up to iron.

The universe expanded by a factor of 105010^{50}1050 during inflation, when the strong force separatedfrom the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces.

The horizon problem relates to the isotropy of the microwave background radiation.

Pair production can occur if:

How hot was the universe at time zero?

The period from about 100 seconds up to 15 minutes after the Big Bang is the:

During the nuclear epoch, the temperatures were:

Which of these seems the best present answer to the horizon and flatness problems?

The majority of dark matter is probably not protons and neutrons.

Currently, most of the mass of the matter of the universe is believed to consist of:

What is the antimatter problem in pair production?

Gravity becomes separate from the other forces at the:

The critical temperature above which pair production can occur is called the:

Of the normal elements around us, the Big Bang produced:

What key event happened during the decoupling epoch?

Quarks are made up of subatomic particles, such as protons and electrons.

Most of the deuterium that formed right after the Big Bang:

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information From the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: the Inner Workings of Atoms

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earths Sister Planet

Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust Among the Stars

Star Formation: a Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: a Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone

Filters

The universe expanded by a factor of $10^{50}$ during inflation, when the strong force separatedfrom the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces.