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Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Modern Cosmology

Study Plan

Cosmology is the study of our large-scale universe, including its nature, origin, evolution, and ultimate destiny. As we study and try to understand our universe on the largest possible scales, we will learn

  • That gravity acts to slow the expansion of the universe.
  • How the universe can have a shape or geometry different from our standard Euclidean geometry.
  • How the history, shape, and fate of the universe are determined by the amount of mass it contains and by a poorly understood cosmological constant.
  • What observations of the cosmic background radiation tell us about the properties of the young universe.
  • The universe may have undergone a period of huge expansion that we call inflation.
  • That matter and the fundamental forces of nature "froze out" of the uniformity of the expanding and cooling universe moments after the Big Bang.

Organize

  • Read Chapter 21 in your textbook or ebook.
  • Take the Diagnostic Quiz to assess your understanding of the basic concepts and identify gaps in your understanding of the assigned reading.

Learn

  • Use the FlashCards to test your memory for new terms.
  • Work the "Thinking about the Concepts" and "Applying the Concepts" questions in the end of chapter review materials.
  • If your instructor has assigned SmartWork online homework, login from the right navigation pane for additional practice and review.

Connect

  • Periodic Connections boxes and the Seeing the Forest through the Trees section at the chapter's end draw your attention to recurring themes and help prepare you for concepts explored more fully in subsequent chapters.
  • Visit Astronomy in the News for breaking news of new discoveries and the opportunity to apply what you've learned in this chapter to real-world (and real Universe) events.
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