Lesson 1.1 The Formation of The Light Elements in The Big Bang Theory

Lesson 1.
1 The Formation of the

Light Elements in the Big Bang
Theory
WARLITO ZAMORA CANOY·SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2016·
Nucleosynthesis: The Beginning of Elements
Objective: You should be able to give evidence for and explain the formation of the
light elements in the big bang theory. S11/12PS-IIIa-1 (3hours: November 13-15,
2017)
Performance Standard: Make a creative representation of the historical

development of the atom or the chemical element in a timeline
Guide Question: What elements were produced during the big bang expansion?
Learn about it!
Big Bang Theory
The big bang theory is a cosmological model stating that the universe started its
expansion about 13.8 billion years ago. Pieces of evidence supporting this theory are
 (1) occurrence of redshift,
 (2) background radiation, and
 (3) abundance of light elements.

Redshift
In the 1910s, Vesto Slipher and Carl Wilhelm Wirtz measured the wavelengths of
light from spiral nebulae, which are interstellar clouds of dust and ionized gases.
They discovered that the light from the nebulae increased in wavelength. They
explained their discovery as a
Doppler shift
The Doppler shift or Doppler effect explains that when an object gets closer to us,
its light waves are compressed into shorter wavelengths (blueshifted, because blue
light has the shortest wavelength in the visible region).
On the other hand, when an object moves away from us, its light waves are
stretched into longer wavelengths (redshifted, because red light has the longest
wavelength in the visible region).
Slipher and Wirtz then explained that the redshift or increase in wavelength was
due to the increase in the distance between the Earth and the nebulae. They
concluded that the redshift occurred due to the expansion of space.
In 1929, Edwin Hubble used the redshift of light from galaxies to calculate the
velocities and distances of these galaxies from the Earth. He discovered that they
were moving away from the Earth and from each other. His calculations supported
the theory that the universe is expanding.
Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
In 1965, Robert Wilson and Arno Penzias discovered a low, steady “hum” from
their Holmdel Horn antenna (an antenna built to support NASA’s Project Echo).
They concluded that the noise is Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

(CMBR), the remains of energy created after the big bang expansion. Abundance of
Light Elements The observed abundance of light elements supports the big bang
theory.
The theory predicts that the universe is composed of 73% hydrogen and 25%
helium by mass. The prediction correlated to the measured abundances of
primordial material in unprocessed gas in some parts of the universe with no stars.
Learn about it!
Formation of Light Elements
Big bang nucleosynthesis is the process of producing the light elements during the
big bang expansion. In the beginning, the universe was very hot that matter was
fully ionized and dissociated. Few seconds after the start of the big bang, the
universe was filled with protons, neutrons, electrons, neutrinos, and positrons.
After the first three minutes, the universe cooled down to a point where atomic
nuclei can form. Protons and neutrons combined to form atomic nuclei such as
deuterium.
However, the temperature of the universe was still much greater than the binding
energy of deuterium. Binding energy is the energy required to break down a
nucleus into its components. Therefore, deuterium easily decayed upon formation.
Learn about it!
When the temperature cooled down below 1010 K, deuterium nuclei combined with
other nuclei to form heavier ones.
 Helium-3 was formed from the fusion of two deuterium nuclei and a release of a
neutron. (See figure on the formation of Helium-3)
 Tritium or hydrogen-3 was produced from the fusion of two deuterium nuclei
and a release of a proton. (See figure on the formation of Tritium or hydrogen-3)
 Helium-4 was also synthesized from deuterium and helium-3. (See figure on the
formation of Helium-4)
 Helium-4 was produced from the fusion of deuterium and tritium. (See figure on
the formation of Helium-4)
Learn about it!
 For the first three minutes, a substantial amount of neutrons was converted into
helium-4 nuclei, before their decay. Helium then combined to other nuclei to
form heavier ones such as lithium-7 and beryllium-7.
 Lithium-7 was synthesized from helium-4 and tritium.
 Beryllium-7 was produced from helium-3 and helium-4.
Among the light elements formed, deuterium, helium-3, helium-4, and lithium-7
were stable. Beryllium-7 was unstable and decayed spontaneously to lithium-7.
What do you think?
Assignment 1.1: How are elements heavier than beryllium formed? (Write your
answer on the FB otherwise you use 1 whole pad paper for your answer.)
Assignment 1.1: Research about the following persons. Cite their important
contributions in science. (5 points for each person)
1. Vesto Slipher
2. Carl Wilhelm Wirtz
3. Edwin Hubble
4. Robert Wilson
5. Arno Penzias
Key Points
 Pieces of evidence that support the big bang theory are redshift, cosmic
microwave background radiation, and abundance of light elements.
 Big bang nucleosynthesis is the process of light element formation.
 The light elements that formed after the big bang were helium, deuterium, and
trace amounts of lithium and beryllium.
 Deuterium, helium-3, helium-4, and lithium-7 were stable. On the other hand,
beryllium-7 was unstable and decayed spontaneously to lithium-7.
Lesson 1.1 Test Question
1. Which of the following refers to the process of producing the light elements such
as helium?
 A. supernova nucleosynthesis
 B. big bang nucleosynthesis
 C. cosmic ray spallation
 D. rp-process
2. ________ are the remains of energy created after the Big Bang expansion.
 A. Gravitational wave
 B. Blackbody radiation
 C. Cosmic microwave background radiation
 D. Magnetic field
3. Who was the scientist who used the redshift of light from galaxies to calculate
their velocities and distances from the Earth?
 A. Robert Wilson
 B. Edwin Hubble
 C. Arno Penzias
 D. Vesto Slipher
4. According to the big bang theory, how much time was needed to produce the light
elements hydrogen and helium?
 A. 3 minutes
 B. 5 hours
 C. 7 million years
 D. 13.8 billion years
5. What happens when something redshifts?
 A. Its energy increases.
 B. Its frequency increases.
 C. Its size increases.
 D. Its wavelength increases.
6. What does the increase in wavelength of light from a galaxy mean?
 A. The galaxy is moving towards the Earth, and the universe is expanding.
 B. The galaxy is moving towards the Earth, and the universe is being compressed.
 C. The galaxy is moving away from the Earth, and the universe is being
compressed.
 D. The galaxy is moving away from the Earth, and the universe is expanding.
7. Sequence the following products of big bang nucleosynthesis from lowest to

highest by mass.
 A. Hydrogen> deuterium> helium> lithium

 B. Lithium> Hydrogen> deuterium> helium
 C. Deuterium> Hydrogen> helium> lithium
 D. Helium> Hydrogen> deuterium> lithium
8. Which of the following events during the big bang expansion led to the
nucleosynthesis of helium-3 and hydrogen?
 A. The temperature of the universe cooled down below 1010 K.
 B. The temperature of the universe increased above 1010 K.
 C. The nucleosynthesis of helium-4 halted.
 D. Beryllium-7 spontaneously decayed.
9. Refer to the figure below. Which of the following is the by-product of the
nucleosynthesis of helium-4 from a deuterium and tritium?
 A. proton
 B. gamma radiation
 C. helium-3
 D. neutron
10. Refer to the figure below. Which of the following is the other starting material
for the nucleosynthesis of beryllium-7 from helium-4?
 A. proton
 B. gamma radiation
 C. helium-3
 D. neutron

Lesson 1.1 The Formation of The Light Elements in The Big Bang Theory

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Lesson 1.

1 The Formation of the

Nucleosynthesis: The Beginning of Elements

Performance Standard: Make a creative representation of the historical

Learn about it!

Big Bang Theory

 (1) occurrence of redshift,

 (2) background radiation, and

 (3) abundance of light elements.

They concluded that the noise is Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

Learn about it!

Formation of Light Elements

Learn about it!

Learn about it!

 Beryllium-7 was produced from helium-3 and helium-4.

What do you think?

2. Carl Wilhelm Wirtz

Lesson 1.1 Test Question

 B. big bang nucleosynthesis

 C. cosmic ray spallation

 C. Cosmic microwave background radiation

 D. 13.8 billion years

5. What happens when something redshifts?

 A. Its energy increases.

 B. Its frequency increases.

 C. Its size increases.

 D. Its wavelength increases.

6. What does the increase in wavelength of light from a galaxy mean?

7. Sequence the following products of big bang nucleosynthesis from lowest to

 A. Hydrogen> deuterium> helium> lithium

 C. Deuterium> Hydrogen> helium> lithium

 D. Helium> Hydrogen> deuterium> lithium

 A. The temperature of the universe cooled down below 1010 K.

 B. The temperature of the universe increased above 1010 K.

 C. The nucleosynthesis of helium-4 halted.

 D. Beryllium-7 spontaneously decayed.

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