Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    kingkit's Avatar
    kingkit Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Dec 9, 2011, 03:25 AM
    Big Bang vs Speed of Light
    I am 65 without any formal knowledge in physics or astrophysics but am fascinated by the subject. There is one thing that puzzles my and I cannot get it out of my head. In The Big Bang the universe went from zero to full size in a fraction of a second yet the laws of physics state that nothing travels faster than light. My logic tells me that the universe could only have expanded to 186,000 miles in the 1st second. Can you tell me if I have got it right?
    Kind regards
    Chris Ryan
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
    current pert
     
    #2

    Dec 9, 2011, 03:58 AM
    Supposedly the expansion of the universe is not constrained by the speed limit of light, which is defined by objects moving relative to each other. I don't understand expansion very well either, but since the arguments are ongoing among physicists, that's OK.
    ebaines's Avatar
    ebaines Posts: 12,131, Reputation: 1307
    Expert
     
    #3

    Dec 9, 2011, 08:08 AM
    kingkit: the universe did not go to "full size" in a fraction of a second. In that first second it expanded from zero to about 186,000 miles in radius, as you suggest. Think of a grenade exploding - the shrapnel expands away from the center at essentially a constant speed. So too with the universe. And it's still expanding. The radius of our universe is essentially 186,000 miles per second times the age of the universe (about 13.8 billion years) which works out to mean the furthest objects we could ever see are 13.8 billiion light years away. And every year that distance grows by another light year.
    TUT317's Avatar
    TUT317 Posts: 657, Reputation: 76
    Senior Member
     
    #4

    Dec 9, 2011, 01:40 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by ebaines View Post
    kingkit: the universe did not go to "full size" in a fraction of a second. In that first second it expanded from zero to about 186,000 miles in radius, as you suggest. Think of a grenade exploding - the shrapnel expands away from the center at essentially a constant speed. So too with the universe. And it's still expanding. The radius of our universe is essentially 186,000 miles per second times the age of the universe (about 13.8 billion years) which works out to mean the furthest objects we could ever see are 13.8 billiion light years away. And every year that distance grows by another light year.

    Hi ebaines,

    Perhaps kingkit is thinking of the inflationary period of the Big Bang.


    Tut
    rupertpupkin123's Avatar
    rupertpupkin123 Posts: 7, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #5

    Dec 18, 2011, 05:55 AM
    Like someone already said, it did not immediately go to full size. It expanded extremely fast though. In the matter of a few seconds it was already mind blowingly large. I saw a documentary on this once.
    rbawjaws's Avatar
    rbawjaws Posts: 6, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #6

    Aug 10, 2013, 05:25 PM
    Answer with a question it has been found recently that the universe is not expanding at a uniform rate but is actually accelerating so where does that put your 1860000mles per sec expansion
    Tuttyd's Avatar
    Tuttyd Posts: 53, Reputation: 4
    Junior Member
     
    #7

    Aug 11, 2013, 08:42 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by rbawjaws View Post
    answer with a question it has been found recently that the universe is not expanding at a uniform rate but is actually accelerating so where does that put your 1860000mles per sec expansion
    Yes, I believe it was an Australian physicist Brian Schmidt who proved that the universe is accelerating and an ever increasing rate. In fact it seems as though it is expanding faster than the speed of light.

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

Big bang? [ 20 Answers ]

I know I'm a christian and I believe that g-d made the world but I imagain as if the world itself made is self if so HOw did it make it self? Why? Whatever for?

The Big Bang [ 6 Answers ]

If the Big Bang was as described, how come the Univese is homogenous. Why are the galazies and other matter not formed in the shape of a hollow sphere, much like the remnant of a supernova, (minus the stellar remnant at the centre)? The only explanation I can imagine is that the Big Bang was not an...

The big bang [ 5 Answers ]

I find it brain exploding as to what the universe is about. Sure, the God illusion is the easy way to explain it. But what is really going on? The shere size of the universe is mind boggling. How did this originate? How did we come to be? God is a very weak explanation. For those who understand...

Big Bang [ 7 Answers ]

What proof is there that the universe began from a big bang I know it's expanding but what else?

Big bang [ 2 Answers ]

Why does my furnace puff loudly when first ignighting? It's a natural gas Hydro Therm with two burners. The pilot seems to be resting close to the primary burner? Help My furnace seems to let out a loud pop when ignighting it's a natural gas two burner Hydro Therm pilot seems to be close to...


View more questions Search