Before we jump into Unit 1, please rate yourself on the Unit 1 objectives from 1 (just starting) to 5 (mastered it!)
You may need to scroll horizontally to see all options
1 - getting started | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 - mastered it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Describe the study of the cosmos | |||||
Discuss the theory of the origin of the universe | |||||
Analyze the evidence that supports the Big Bang theory | |||||
Examine the composition of matter and how it is distributed within the universe | |||||
Describe the theories of evolution and fate of the universe |
Using the interactive above to help you (or opening it in a new window) order the following from smallest (1) to largest (6)
Milky Way Galaxy
The Sun
Moon
The Solar System
The Universe
Earth
Answer one or more of these questions about the Scale of the Universe interactive:
What did you find interesting?
Did anything surprise you?
What does this tell you about the size of the universe?
To understand how scientists determine astronomical distances, we first need to discuss light and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Wavelength and frequency are two important characteristics of light.
Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks or two consecutive troughs of a wave.
Use the ruler provided to determine the wavelength of each wave:
Frequency refers to the number of wavelengths that pass a given point in one second.
High frequency has many wavelengths each second.
The closer together the wavelengths are, the higher the frequency.
Low frequency has fewer wavelengths each second.
The further apart the wavelengths are, the lower the frequency.
Put these waves in order from lowest (longest wavelength) to highest frequency (shortest wavelength).
These properties are inversely related which means as wavelength increases, frequency decreases, and vice versa.
To summarize:
Waves with a short wavelength have a frequency
Waves with a long wavelength have a frequency
So far we have only looked at visible light, the light our eyes are able to detect. There are more types of light that our eyes can't detect that we can use to study the universe.
Watch how images of outer space are created using data from x-ray, radio, and visible light waves.
Later in the semester, you'll have an opportunity to create your own image from satellite data.
What IS gravity?
You probably know what gravity does, but why does gravity exist?
No right or wrong answers as long as they are your own! :)
What is the size of a wave?
How often a wave goes by is called its...
Long wavelengths have energy and short wavelengths have energy
What do we call the range of light we are able to see with our eyes?
Our universe only gives off visible light.
To see the universe in its full spectrum, we need to use special telescopes that can help us see beyond visible light.
