Question 1

What are the important relics of the quark epoch? Why?

Accepted Answer

Quarks condensed to form massi

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

When an electron is formed from a gamma ray collision,a positron is also made.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

What are the important relics of the lepton epoch? Why are they important?

Accepted Answer

Electrons and neutrinos; elect

Question 5

Before about 50,000 years after the Big Bang,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 6

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 7

The best answer to both the flatness and horizon problems is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Steady State Theory. 
B)  the GUT theory. 
C)  the inflationary epoch. 
D)  dark energy. 
E)  decoupling. 
A)  the Steady State Theory. 
B)  the GUT theory. 
C)  the inflationary epoch. 
D)  dark energy. 
E)  decoupling.

Question 8

The quark epoch is when ________ was/were created.

Accepted Answer

A)  all known matter 
B)  everything in normal atoms 
C)  only dark energy 
D)  protons and neutrons that still survive 
E)  the rapid inflation of the cosmos 
A)  all known matter 
B)  everything in normal atoms 
C)  only dark energy 
D)  protons and neutrons that still survive 
E)  the rapid inflation of the cosmos

Question 9

In the Grand Unified Theory,the superforce was:

Accepted Answer

A)  only dark energy. 
B)  a union of the weak and electromagnetic forces. 
C)  a union of all matter and energy. 
D)  a union of the gravitational, strong and weak nuclear, and electromagnetic forces. 
E)  only in effect at low energies. 
A)  only dark energy. 
B)  a union of the weak and electromagnetic forces. 
C)  a union of all matter and energy. 
D)  a union of the gravitational, strong and weak nuclear, and electromagnetic forces. 
E)  only in effect at low energies.

Question 10

Not taking dark energy into account,we seem to live now in a matter dominated universe,since the observed matter density exceeds the observed energy density.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Ripples in the Cosmic Microwave Background correspond to:

Accepted Answer

A)  matter density fluctuations. 
B)  temperature fluctuations. 
C)  energy fluctuations. 
D)  fluctuations in both matter and radiation. 
E)  imperfections in measurement techniques or equipment. 
A)  matter density fluctuations. 
B)  temperature fluctuations. 
C)  energy fluctuations. 
D)  fluctuations in both matter and radiation. 
E)  imperfections in measurement techniques or equipment.

Question 12

About how hot was the Big Bang when matter and energy "decoupled"?

Accepted Answer

A)  900 million K 
B)  15 million K 
C)  3,000 K 
D)  300 K 
E)  2.73 K 
A)  900 million K 
B)  15 million K 
C)  3,000 K 
D)  300 K 
E)  2.73 K

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Before the Planck time of 10⁻⁴³ seconds,the Big Bang must be treated as a singularity,with even general relativity yielding no information about it.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

During the nuclear epoch,the temperatures were:

Accepted Answer

A)  higher than 10³² 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 10³² 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 16

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Sound waves in the early universe traveled faster than half of the speed of light.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

In GUTs,gravity was the first force to take on a separate identity at the Planck Time.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

At what point do the weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces split?

Accepted Answer

A)  never, they are still united 
B)  at 10¹² K, when pair production starts for neutrons and protons 
C)  at 10⁻⁴³ seconds, when all four forces separate as the Planck Era ends 
D)  at about four seconds, when at millions of degrees hydrogen forms helium 
E)  after about 10⁻¹⁰ seconds, when the temperature drops below 10⁻¹⁵ K 
A)  never, they are still united 
B)  at 10¹² K, when pair production starts for neutrons and protons 
C)  at 10⁻⁴³ seconds, when all four forces separate as the Planck Era ends 
D)  at about four seconds, when at millions of degrees hydrogen forms helium 
E)  after about 10⁻¹⁰ seconds, when the temperature drops below 10⁻¹⁵ K

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

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

What are the important relics of the quark epoch? Why?

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

When an electron is formed from a gamma ray collision,a positron is also made.

What are the important relics of the lepton epoch? Why are they important?

Before about 50,000 years after the Big Bang,the universe was:

What key event happened during the decoupling epoch?

The best answer to both the flatness and horizon problems is:

The quark epoch is when ________ was/were created.

In the Grand Unified Theory,the superforce was:

Not taking dark energy into account,we seem to live now in a matter dominated universe,since the observed matter density exceeds the observed energy density.

Ripples in the Cosmic Microwave Background correspond to:

About how hot was the Big Bang when matter and energy "decoupled"?

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

Before the Planck time of 10⁻⁴³ seconds,the Big Bang must be treated as a singularity,with even general relativity yielding no information about it.

During the nuclear epoch,the temperatures were:

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

Sound waves in the early universe traveled faster than half of the speed of light.

In GUTs,gravity was the first force to take on a separate identity at the Planck Time.

At what point do the weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces split?

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

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: Earth's 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?

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