things need spaces to be able to expand. then is this mean that there's a lot of spaces outside the universe?
2006-07-07 15:05:10 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
this is actually a common misconception about the universe. the universe is finite yet it has no edge and no center. it seems to be something like the two-dimensional surface of a sphere, but it is four-dimensional. nothing exists "outside" the universe, not even space-time. space-time originated in the big bang. to quote a dead writer (1874-1946) "there's no there, there".
read this:
http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=0009F0CA-C523-1213-852383414B7F0147
2006-07-07 16:58:41 · answer #1 · answered by warm soapy water 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yes, Space goes on forever in all directions.
Imagine a forested mountainside. The trees only grown up to a certain altitude before the air becomes to thin or cold to support them. There is still alot of bare mountain side above the tree line. Now just imagine that the mountain is infinitely high and the tree line continues to move upward at a steady pace every new generation of trees.
The expanding universe is the exact same way, space goes on forever. But the "star line" only goes out to a certain point before stopping. Out so far, there are no more stars (or anything). Every new generation of stars, the universe expands and that "star line" moves farther out into the emptiness.
In theory, the universe could expand forever, but some say that there is not enough matter in the universe to continue the expansion. If this is so, one generation of stars will be the last generation to be born. As stars die of and no new ones created, the "star line" will recede backwards. Basically making the universe smaller. This would eventually cause the universe to collapse back in itself. Back into the original super dense mass that was around before the "Big Bang".
Others believe that there is enough matter in the universe to continue perpetual expansion. In this situation, the "star line" will continually grow forever.
Hope that answers your question
2006-07-07 22:22:34 · answer #2 · answered by broxolm 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes and no. You are thinking that we are adding more things and that is why we are expanding. But think about adding a spoon of sugar to a glass of water. Does the water expand, is there an increase in the volume of water? No, but the mass did increase. You still have space between the water atoms that can be filled.
We are spreading out but not expanding!
2006-07-07 22:12:41 · answer #3 · answered by cpw321cpw 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the universe has no beginning and no end, then there's always space available.
2006-07-07 22:16:52 · answer #4 · answered by professorS 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, space is infinate.
2006-07-08 00:50:02 · answer #5 · answered by Eric X 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I do agree.
2006-07-08 12:30:57 · answer #6 · answered by Axel ∇ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes there is.
2006-07-07 22:08:18 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋