Which statement is INCORRECT about Cosmic Microwave Background radiation?
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2 points
its temperature is uniform.
it consists of electromagnetic radiation that is a remnant of the Big Bang.
It appears uniformly across the universe.
it appeared only a few years ago
it appeared only a few years ago.
The statement that is INCORRECT about Cosmic Microwave Background radiation is "it appeared only a few years ago." The Cosmic Microwave Background radiation is considered to be one of the oldest forms of radiation in the universe and is believed to have originated around 13.8 billion years ago during the Big Bang.
To determine which statement is incorrect about Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, let's analyze each option:
1. "Its temperature is uniform": This statement is correct. One of the key characteristics of CMB radiation is that its temperature is extremely uniform across the observable universe, with small fluctuations at the level of one part in a hundred thousand.
2. "It consists of electromagnetic radiation that is a remnant of the Big Bang": This statement is correct. The Cosmic Microwave Background radiation is the afterglow of the Big Bang. It is the oldest detectable electromagnetic radiation in the universe and provides valuable insights into the early stages of the universe's development.
3. "It appears uniformly across the universe": This statement is correct. CMB radiation is observed uniformly across the entire observable universe. This uniformity further supports the idea that the early universe underwent a period of rapid expansion known as cosmic inflation.
4. "It appeared only a few years ago": This statement is incorrect. The CMB radiation has been present since around 380,000 years after the Big Bang occurred. The radiation took several hundred thousand years to decouple from matter, allowing it to freely travel through space and become observable.
Therefore, the incorrect statement among the options is "it appeared only a few years ago."