Why is the speed at which the universe is expanding increasing.?

Question

Is it due to the weekening of gravitational drag caused by the inver squear law.

Answer 1

according to acceptable theory we will expand for approx.. 11 billion years from the big bang-
we will not implode -quite simply there will be another bang and off we go again-
think of it like a never ending roman candle-
we are roughly half way through this cycle-so yes you are correct
D.C. post your question in the correct manner-someone may even reply-if you don't bite their head off first

Answer 2

No it has nothing to do with gravity. The real answer is we don't really know although the current theory points to dark energy that is cause what you could sort of call a pressure on the walls of the universe - although it's not that simple.

DC
There is very good evidence that the universe is expanding - It's called redshift. The evidence that the rate of expansion is increasing is still open to a little debate at the expansion itself is proven.

Answer 3

Dark energy is energy that rather than creating a gravitational field like regular energy does, creates an antigravitational field.

Thus this 'Dark Energy' is pushing everything away from it. And our universe is composed of about 74% Dark Energy :o


Essentially, it is accelerating because the Dark Energetic force is constantly growing, and is growing at a faster rate than matter is pulling back with the gravitational force.


Current theory suggests Dark Energy has already won and we cannot escape the inevitable; the universe will continue to expand faster and faster indefinitely.

Answer 4

Hi Brian,

I was at a lecture by Prof Stephen Hawking last week, who raised this subject and said that scientists still had no conclusive proof why the rate of expansion is increasing.

Answer 5

Nobody knows. They are saying some unknown force is causing it, and calling that force "dark energy" for lack of a better term. Bottom line is, they don't know. By the way, the evidence that it is accelerating is very indirect, depending on supernova brightness measurements. In my mind the acceleration is not really proven conclusively yet.

Answer 6

it is only logical, that if the bodies are expanding, then the speed should also be expanding at a similar rate.
However, we are very small, and exist in a very fast time frame, so, it could infact, be breathing. In a few trillion billion light years, it may gradually receed, at an increasing rate, and so on.
Human phsyci tends to assume change will continue in one direction, as indicated, yet most motion is in waves, circular, and repeating.

Answer 7

There is good reason to believe that a net expantion of the universe is not happening.
I believe an error of uncertainty [ of large distances] causes a misinterpretation of the result of the hubble constant!!

Answer 8

Because there is less to hold it back, gravitational pull is its major obstical and solar winds its greatest assistor.

Answer 9

Because some of the best scientists in the world say that it is, and will for for billions of years to come. What beats me, is why they can't seem to get tomorrow's weather right yet!?!?

Answer 10

Yes. As the pieces separate, they exert less pull on one another. However, theories postulate that this will eventually subside and the Universe will implode.