8.1.9

Red-shift

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Red-shift

Light from distant objects in space becomes shifted towards the red end of the spectrum. This effect is called red-shift.

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Red-shift

  • As an object moves away from us, the wavelength of light that the object emits (sends out) gets longer.
  • The light gets redder because red has the longest wavelength of the visible colours.
  • This effect is called red-shift.
  • The faster the object is moving away from us, the longer its wavelength gets and the redder it appears.
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Evidence for an expanding universe

  • Light from distant galaxies in space is red-shifted.
  • The further a galaxy is from Earth, the greater the red-shift.
    • This means that the further away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away from us.
  • This is evidence that the universe is expanding.

Jump to other topics

1Energy

2Electricity

3Particle Model of Matter

4Atoms & Radiation

5Forces

5.1Basics of Motion

5.2Forces

5.3Effects of Forces

5.4Pressure

6Waves

7Magnetism

8Astrophysics

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