Unraveling the Mysteries of Spacetime: How Physicists Know

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Jonnyb42
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Physicists Spacetime
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

Physicists confirm that spacetime itself expanded from the Big Bang, rather than mass moving away into pre-existing space. This understanding is supported by the First Law of Thermodynamics, which asserts that if the universe existed beforehand, it must adhere to the same physical laws. The notion that mass alone was created in an existing universe is flawed, as it would imply a definitive center and lead to gravitational collapse. Additional evidence supports the theory of a small, dense, hot beginning to the universe.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Big Bang Theory
  • Familiarity with the First Law of Thermodynamics
  • Knowledge of spacetime concepts in physics
  • Basic principles of cosmology
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of the Big Bang on spacetime expansion
  • Study the First Law of Thermodynamics in the context of cosmology
  • Explore evidence supporting the hot Big Bang model
  • Investigate gravitational dynamics in an expanding universe
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, cosmologists, and anyone interested in the fundamental principles of the universe's origin and structure.

Jonnyb42
Messages
185
Reaction score
0
How in the heck do physicists know that spacetime was created at the big bang just by observing galaxies moving away from each other? Couldn't that mean that that's when the MASS was created?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
You made the classic mistake of thinking that it's motion of galaxies moving away from each other into existing space. It's not. It's not space was there, and boom stuff was created and now it's flying away from each other like an explosion. It's spacetime itsself that is expanding.

You idea that it could just be the mass that was created violates the 1st law of thermodynamics, which if the Universe was existing before hand follows the same phyical laws that govern us. Not only that, but if just the mass was created in the existing universe then there would be a definitive centre that could be found. Also if all the matter were created in 1 single spot, gravity would dominate and it would collapse back in on itsself.

Those are three of the big problem with the idea that it was just the 'stuff' that was created within the universe, not the universe itsself.

There are also many other peices of evidence that point to a small dense hot beginning to the universe.
 

Similar threads

Graduate Dark matter and spacetime metric
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
4K
High School Is Spacetime Actually a Superfluid?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Superconductors and spacetime question
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Undergrad How Does the Balloon Analogy Explain the Expansion of the Universe?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Undergrad Unraveling the Mysteries of Gravity: From Light Bulbs to Spiral Galaxies
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Graduate What Are the Mysterious Bubbles of Nothing That Consume Spacetime?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Undergrad Question of accuracy of galactic collision simulations
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Undergrad Do Physicists Literally Believe We Move Through Time?
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
3K
Undergrad Post Big Bang Gravity
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
High School How did Earth get so far away from other galaxies?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K