The Universe Unit Test
12 of 1312 of 13 Items
Question
In three to five sentences, evaluate the scientific evidence that supports the big bang theory and the steady state theory.(4 points)
Short Answer Rubric (4 points)
Points Awarded Criteria
4
The answer is very clear.
The answer is fully supported by details.
There may be a few errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics. Errors do not interfere with meaning.
3
The answer is mostly clear.
The answer is supported by mostly relevant details.
There are a few errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics. Errors do not interfere with meaning.
2
The answer is somewhat clear.
Details are weak or not related.
There are some errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Errors interfere with meaning.
1
The answer is not clear.
There are few or no supporting details.
There are many errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Errors interfere with meaning.
0 The question is not answered.
The big bang theory is supported by several lines of scientific evidence. One piece of evidence is the observation of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is leftover radiation from the early stages of the universe. Another piece of evidence is the observed redshift of galaxies, which suggests that the universe is expanding. Additionally, the abundance of light elements, such as hydrogen and helium, supports the big bang theory.
On the other hand, the steady state theory suggests that the universe is in a constant state and has no beginning or end. However, the scientific evidence that supports this theory is relatively limited. One piece of evidence suggested by proponents of the steady state theory is the observed isotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which they claim can be attributed to the continuous creation of matter. However, this theory faces challenges in explaining other observed phenomena, such as the abundance of heavy elements and the distribution of galaxies in the universe.
To evaluate the scientific evidence that supports the Big Bang theory and the Steady State theory, we can consider several key pieces of evidence for each theory.
For the Big Bang theory, one key piece of evidence is the observed redshift of galaxies. This redshift indicates that galaxies are moving away from us and from each other, suggesting that the universe is expanding. This is consistent with the idea that the universe originated from a single, extremely hot and dense point, known as a singularity, and has been expanding ever since.
Another piece of evidence for the Big Bang theory is the detection of cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). This radiation is believed to be the "echo" of the initial hot and dense state of the universe, and its discovery provided strong support for the idea that the universe had a beginning and has been expanding.
In contrast, the Steady State theory proposed that the universe is not expanding or evolving but remains constant over time. However, the discovery of the CMB radiation and the observation of cosmic redshift are inconsistent with this theory. The Steady State theory does not provide a clear explanation for these phenomena and lacks the strong observational evidence that supports the Big Bang theory.
In conclusion, the scientific evidence strongly supports the Big Bang theory over the Steady State theory. The observation of cosmic redshift and the detection of the CMB radiation provide significant support for the idea that the universe had a beginning and has been expanding over time.