Our universe has been around for some 15 billion years and has been expanding ever since. It is now said that our universe is expanding at an ever increasing pace. How can that be if the expansion has been increasing since it's explosive beginning so 15 billion years ago? If the speed of light is the limiter when would our universe need to stop it's wild ride? Also if an object is going to approach the speed of light it would need to gain infinite mass so how does this fit in?
2007-03-15 10:09:51 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
My understanding of expansion is that it's not due to classical velocity, but rather because, to put it simply, new space is slowly forming everywhere.
If the new space is forming at about the same rate everywhere, and the same amount of new space forms in any given area, as the universe becomes larger the total rate of new space formation will increase.
Again, that's just my admittedly meager understanding of it.
2007-03-15 10:20:41 · answer #1 · answered by John's Secret Identity™ 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm not too familiar with this, but imagine you had a balloon and you put dots equidistant to each other. Pick one of the dots to be earth/our solar system/our galaxy. As you blow the balloon up, all the other dots appear to move away from whatever spot you decided to watch. It appears to any watcher from that spot that it is the center of the universe, it's really not, just appears that way. Also the dots on the balloon that are farther away from your dot appear to move faster then dots that are closer. Making an appearance of an explosion rather than an expansion. Using this idea, spacetime itself being the balloon expanding, and matter being the dots. It would give the impression that items could be approaching the speed of light, or might even be able to reach it.
I'm not sure if it made any sense to you, or if it helped. I'm not too familiar with the theory.
I would probably read some of the newest books on spacetime and the cosmos.
Good luck!
2007-03-16 13:06:35 · answer #2 · answered by kaltharion 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For anything to be moving at an ever increasing rate of speed (accelerating) a force needs to be pushing on it (Newton's law).
This can't be the force of the initial explosion, can it? That has already been expended.
It can't be gravity. That would be an attractant.
What force is working?
If the acceleration is very slight, the expansion may not be approaching the speed of light.
Maybe Newtonian physics doesn't work here.
2007-03-15 10:33:06 · answer #3 · answered by p v 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'll have to check your fact about expanding at an ever-increasing pace. That doesn't fit with my understanding either, unless it is talking about the volume of space taken up, and not the velocity of the particles in it. As far as I know, those objects are not accelerating--that would require more force being applied.
2007-03-15 10:15:01 · answer #4 · answered by wayfaroutthere 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
>>a million. apparently the Universe is increasing. even if that's increasing and not in any respect countless, would not that recommend that theoretically you would possibly want to attain the "aspect" and previous of the Universe? What then? Limbo? Or is it basically void? yet void is area inspite of the actuality that. count number and power can exist in area. If previous the Universe replaced into basically void the Universe may be defined as how a procedures out count number is going.<< you're wondering is logical, yet regrettably undemanding common sense would not artwork when we communicate about some good factors of the universe. The universe is declared to be 'isotropic' and 'homogenous.' basically what which ability is that no count number the position you're in the universe, that position will look on the middle of the universe. Earth looks on the middle because when we glance outward in all instructions we see the universe increasing faraway from us. in spite of the undeniable fact that, once you're on yet another planet a million-million gentle years from Earth you would see the very similar issue. the base line is that there is not any aspect to the universe. >>what's increasing in the Universe. Is it basically count number flinging outward?<< First you should do not ignore that each thing -- mass, gentle, all forms of power, you and that i, and so on.,. -- are embedded in the "fabrics" of area. the answer for your question is that that's area that's easily doing the upward thrust and count number is basically going alongside for the experience. >>Does the Universe amplify in all instructions?<< From any poiint in the universe, like Earth, the universe is increasing in all instructions. yet bear in options -- once you're on another planet gentle years from Earth a similar issue may be real (the universe is isotropic) >> is there and how can there be a "structure" to the universe? << yet another problematical question! There are 3 diverse shapes the universe may have -- a million. Open (hyperbolic with unfavourable curvature). in this form the universe keeps to amplify indefinitely; 2. Closed (round). At a at the same time as in the destiny the universe may quit increasing and give way back on itself; 3. Balanced universe. At a at the same time as in the destiny the stress of gravity precisely equals the stress of strengthen and the universe basically stops increasing without next give way. Of the three, all recent observations strongly recommend that #a million is the situation of our universe.
2016-12-02 01:39:23 · answer #5 · answered by declue 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does not violate Einstein's dictum that nothing can travel faster than speed of light, because it's empty space that is expanding. For material objects, the light barrier cannot be broken.
2007-03-15 10:24:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nsf50/nsfoutreach/htm/n50_z2/pages_z3/01_pg.htm
Even at the smallest speed of acceleration - over the age of the universe - the acceleration must be tremendous.
Dark matter - it has been proposed - should be halting the expansion and beginning the collapse. But I don't really know what this dark matter is. I suppose that if 90% of our universe is this ghostly dark matter then we should be seeing a continued deceleration of our universe. But what would be the power that would accelerate the expansion?
2007-03-15 16:24:31 · answer #7 · answered by Russel J 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Although an object would need (nearly) infinite mass to go at light speed, this doesn't matter. In space, there it no friction or gravity. Thus, mass is irrelevant.
2007-03-15 10:29:48 · answer #8 · answered by Joe 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The whole thing doesn't fit newtonian mechanics or apparently einsteinian.
Obviously, there's another paradigm yet to be discovered.
2007-03-15 10:18:18 · answer #9 · answered by Salami and Orange Juice 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is expanding but it should be slowing down. And once it's volicty equels 0 it will come back and un-expaned.
2007-03-15 10:13:36 · answer #10 · answered by Mr. Smith 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋