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Chapter 22: Problem 10

Put the following types of objects in order, starting with the first one to form after the Big Bang and ending with the last one to form. a. neutral atoms, protons, nuclei b. protons, nuclei, neutral atoms c. nuclei, neutral atoms, protons d. protons, neutral atoms, nuclei

Short Answer

Expert verified
b. protons, nuclei, neutral atoms

Step by step solution

01

- Understand the Big Bang Timeline

To solve this problem, it is crucial to understand the sequence of events following the Big Bang. First, the universe was extremely hot and dense, and as it expanded, it cooled down, leading to the formation of the simplest particles first.
02

- Formation of Protons

Protons were among the first particles to form. After the Big Bang, within fractions of a second, quarks combined to form protons and neutrons. This event is known as baryogenesis.
03

- Formation of Nuclei

As the universe continued to cool, protons and neutrons fused together to form the nuclei of simple elements like hydrogen and helium. This process is known as nucleosynthesis and occurred within the first few minutes after the Big Bang.
04

- Formation of Neutral Atoms

Thousands of years later, as the universe expanded and cooled further, electrons combined with nuclei to form neutral atoms. This period is known as recombination, occurring around 380,000 years after the Big Bang.
05

- Order of Formation

Now that we understand the timeline, we can determine the correct order of events: protons formed first, followed by nuclei, and finally neutral atoms.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Formation of Protons
Right after the Big Bang, the universe was extremely hot and dense. In these first milliseconds, it was filled with a soup of quarks and gluons. As the universe started to expand and cool down, these quarks combined to form protons and neutrons. This event is called baryogenesis. Protons, which are positively charged particles, were among the first building blocks of matter to form. Without protons, the universe as we know it wouldn't exist. They serve as the nucleus for hydrogen atoms, which are the simplest and most abundant elements in the universe.
Nucleosynthesis
After the formation of protons and neutrons, these particles began to come together to form the nuclei of simple elements. This process is known as nucleosynthesis. Nucleosynthesis took place within the first few minutes after the Big Bang. During this time, the universe's temperature dropped enough for protons and neutrons to collide and stick together, forming the nuclei of hydrogen, helium, and small amounts of lithium. This period is incredibly important because it defined the initial chemical composition of the universe. The elements formed during nucleosynthesis make up much of the normal matter we observe today.
Recombination
Thousands of years after nucleosynthesis, the universe continued to expand and cool. Eventually, it reached a temperature low enough for electrons to combine with nuclei, forming neutral atoms. This process is known as recombination. Recombination occurred around 380,000 years after the Big Bang. Before recombination, free electrons scattered photons, making the universe opaque. Once electrons combined with nuclei, photons were able to travel freely through space. This

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Most popular questions from this chapter

When a particle and an antiparticle come together, they a. annihilate each other, releasing photons. b. create a black hole. c. release enormous amounts of energy. d. create new particles.

One GUT theory predicts that a proton will decay in about \(10^{31}\) years, which means if you have \(10^{31}\) protons, you should see one decay per year. The Super-Kamiokande observatory in Japan holds about 20 million kg of water in its main detector, and it did not see any decays in 5 years of continual operation. What limit does this observation place on proton decay and on the GUT theory described here?

Describe the observational evidence suggesting that Einstein's cosmological constant (a repulsive force) may be needed to explain the historical expansion of the universe. Explain how Einstein was "right for the wrong reason."

During the period of inflation, the universe may have briefly expanded at \(10^{30}\) (a million trillion trillion) or more times the speed of light. Why did this ultra-rapid expansion not violate Einstein's special theory of relativity, which says that neither matter nor communication can travel faster than the speed of light?

Suppose you brought together a gram of ordinary-matter hydrogen atoms (each composed of a proton and an electron) and a gram of antimatter hydrogen atoms (each composed of an antiproton and a positron). Keeping in mind that 2 grams is less than the mass of a dime: a. Calculate how much energy (in joules) would be released as the ordinary- matter and antimatter hydrogen atoms annihilated one another. b. Compare this amount of energy with the energy released by a 1-megaton hydrogen bomb \(\left(4.2 \times 10^{15} \mathrm{J}\right)\)
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