8.3.2

Evidence for the Big Bang

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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.
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Explained by the Big Bang

  • Red-shift provides evidence for the Big Bang theory as it shows that all objects in the universe are moving away from one another.
  • This suggests that the objects began from a single point, the point at which the Big Bang occurred.

Jump to other topics

1Forces & Motion

1.1Basics of Motion

1.2Forces

1.3Effects of Forces

1.4Stopping Distance

1.5Forces & Elasticity

2Electricity

3Waves

4Energy Resources & Energy Transfers

5Solids, Liquids & Gases

6Magnetism & Electromagnetism

7Radioactivity & Particles

8Astrophysics

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