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Instructor’s Guide
Physics in Action
PLANETS, STARS, AND GALAXIES
Introduction
This Instructor’s Guide provides information to help you get the most out of Planets, Stars, and Galaxies, part of the five-part series Physics in Action. The contents of the guide will allow you to prepare
your students before using the program and to present follow-up activities to reinforce the program’s
key learning points.
Can the study of physics be fun? This clever five-part series answers “Yes!” by presenting essential
facts, formulas, and laws of physics through real-world examples, illustrative animations, and a likeable field guide named Mr. Physics who makes complicated concepts easier to understand. End-ofsection reviews are included throughout each program, and equations are worked out, step by step,
on-screen.
The series includes the following titles:
• Energy
• Forces and Motion
• Planets, Stars, and Galaxies
• Processes That Shape the Earth
• The Nature of Matter
Learning Objectives
After viewing the program, students will be able to:
• Understand early theories of cosmology
• Understand velocity, gravity, and acceleration, and how they relate to each other
• Understand the basics of Kepler’s Laws, and Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation
• Understand parallax, apparent and intrinsic brightness, and the life cycle of stars
• Understand the basics of Einstein’s theories of Special and General Relativity
• Understand the Cosmological Principle, Hubble’s Law, and the Big Bang
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Instructor’s Guide
Educational Standards
BENCHMARKS FOR SCIENCE LITERACY STANDARDS
This program correlates with the following standards from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, by the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, for grades 9 through 12.
The Nature of Science: The Scientific Worldview
• From time to time, major shifts occur in the scientific view of how things work. More often,
however, the changes that take place in the body of scientific knowledge are small modifications
of prior knowledge. Continuity and change are persistent features of science.
The Nature of Science: Scientific Inquiry
• In the short run, new ideas that do not mesh well with mainstream ideas in science often
encounter vigorous criticism.
• New ideas in science are limited by the context in which they are conceived; are often rejected
by the scientific establishment; sometimes spring from unexpected findings; and usually grow
slowly, through contributions from many investigators.
The Physical Setting: The Universe
• The stars differ from each other in size, temperature, and age, but they appear to be made up of
the same elements found on earth and behave according to the same physical principles.
• On the basis of scientific evidence, the universe is estimated to be over ten billion years old. The
current theory is that its entire contents expanded explosively from a hot, dense, chaotic mass.
• Stars condensed by gravity out of clouds of molecules of the lightest elements until nuclear
fusion of the light elements into heavier ones began to occur. Fusion released great amounts of
energy over millions of years.
• Eventually, some stars exploded, producing clouds containing heavy elements from which other
stars and planets orbiting them could later condense. The process of star formation and destruction continues.
• Mathematical models and computer simulations are used in studying evidence from many
sources in order to form a scientific account of the universe.
The Physical Setting: Motion
• The change in motion (direction or speed) of an object is proportional to the applied force and
inversely proportional to the mass.
• All motion is relative to whatever frame of reference is chosen, for there is no motionless frame
from which to judge all motion.
• In empty space, all electromagnetic waves move at the same speed — the “speed of light.”
• Because the light seen from almost all distant galaxies has longer wavelengths than comparable
light here on Earth, astronomers believe that the whole universe is expanding. Copyright © 2010 Films for the Humanities & Sciences® • www.films.com • 1-800-257-5126
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Instructor’s Guide
• Waves can superimpose on one another, bend around corners, reflect off surfaces, be absorbed
by materials they enter, and change direction when entering a new material. All these effects vary
with wavelength.
The Physical Setting: Forces of Nature
• Gravitational force is an attraction between masses. The strength of the force is proportional to
the masses and weakens rapidly with increasing distance between them.
Historical Perspectives: Displacing Earth from the Center of the Universe
• Ptolemy, an Egyptian astronomer living in the second century A.D., devised a powerful mathematical model of the universe based on continuous motion in perfect circles, and in circles on
circles. With the model, he was able to predict the motions of the sun, moon, and stars, and even
of the irregular “wandering stars” now called planets.
• In the 1500s, a Polish astronomer named Copernicus suggested that all those same motions
could be explained by imagining that the earth was turning around once a day and orbiting
around the sun once a year. This explanation was rejected by nearly everyone because it violated
common sense and required the universe to be unbelievably large. Worse, it flew in the face of
the belief, universally held at the time, that the earth was at the center of the universe.
• Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer, worked with Tycho Brahe for a short time. After Brahe’s
death, Kepler used his data to show mathematically that Copernicus’ idea of a sun-centered system worked well if uniform circular motion was replaced with uneven (but predictable) motion
along off-center ellipses.
• Using the newly invented telescope to study the sky, Galileo made many discoveries that
supported the ideas of Copernicus. It was Galileo who found the moons of Jupiter, sunspots,
craters and mountains on the moon, and many more stars than were visible to the unaided eye.
• The work of Copernicus, Galileo, Brahe, and Kepler eventually changed people’s perception of
their place in the universe.
Historical Perspectives: Uniting the Heavens and Earth
• Isaac Newton, building on earlier descriptions of motion by Galileo, Kepler, and others, created a
unified view of force and motion in which motion everywhere in the universe can be explained by
the same few rules. Newton’s system was based on the concepts of mass, force, and acceleration; his
three laws of motion relating them; and a physical law stating that the force of gravity between any
two objects in the universe depends only upon their masses and the distance between them.
• Newton’s mathematical analysis of gravitational force and motion showed that planetary orbits
had to be the very ellipses that Kepler had proposed two generations earlier.
• For several centuries, Newton’s science was accepted without major changes because it explained
so many different phenomena, could be used to predict many physical events (such as the appearance of Halley’s comet), was mathematically sound, and had many practical applications.
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Instructor’s Guide
Historical Perspectives: Relating Matter and Energy and Time and Space
• As a young man, Albert Einstein, a German scientist, formulated the special theory of relativity, which brought about revolutionary changes in human understanding of nature. Among the
counterintuitive ideas of special relativity is that the speed of light is the same for all observers no
matter how they or the light source happen to be moving. In addition, nothing can travel faster
than the speed of light.
• A decade after Einstein developed the special theory of relativity, he proposed the general theory
of relativity, which pictures Newton’s gravitational force as a distortion of space and time.
• Under everyday situations, most of the predictions of special relativity are nearly identical to
those of classical mechanics. The more counterintuitive predictions of special relativity occur in
situations that humans do not typically experience.
SOURCE: Benchmarks For Science Literacy, by The American Association for the Advancement of Science. Copyright 1993,
2009 by The American Association for the Advancement of Science. Used by permission of Oxford University Press, Inc.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS
The activities in this instructor’s guide were created in compliance with the following standards
from National Standards for the English Language Arts, from the National Council of Teachers of
English.
• Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary)
to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements
appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing
problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and
audience.
• Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases,
computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate
knowledge.
• Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for
learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
SOURCE: Standards for the English Language Arts, by the International Reading Association and the National Council
of Teachers of English. Copyright 1996 by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of
English. Reprinted with permission.
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Instructor’s Guide
TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS
The activities in this instructor’s guide were created in compliance with the following standards
from The ISTE National Education Technology Standards (NETS•S) and Performance Indicators
for Students. • Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and
develop innovative products and processes using technology.
• Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use
information.
• Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills
to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions
using appropriate digital tools and resources.
SOURCE: © 2007 The International Society for Technology Education. Reprinted with permission.
Program Overview
Beginning with the history of astronomy (Ptolemy, Copernicus, Giordano Bruno, Galileo), this
program considers the mathematics of motion (velocity, acceleration); gravity (Kepler’s discoveries,
Newton’s laws, center of gravity, astronomical units); the properties of stars (parallax, flux, luminosity,
color, Hertzsprung-Russell diagram); relativity (Einstein’s theories, speed of light, space-time); and the
large-scale structure of the universe (Big Bang, Cosmological Principle, Hubble’s law). Humankind
has come a long way in our understanding of the cosmos — but we’re still only scratching the surface
of astrophysics, with discoveries of incalculable value still waiting to be made.
Main Topics
Chapter 1: The Universe (and Welcome to It!)
After a review of the cosmological theories of Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Giordano Bruno, viewers
learn the importance of Galileo and the impact the telescope had on astronomy.
Chapter 2: The Mathematics of Motion
This section provides an overview of velocity, gravity, and acceleration. It demonstrates how understanding the relationship of these three to each other has allowed us to put satellites into orbit and
send spacecraft to the moon and beyond.
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Chapter 3: Newton, Kepler, and Gravity
Kepler’s three laws describing the orbit of planets, which lead to Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, is the subject of this section. Also included: astronomical units. Chapter 4: Observing the Night Sky
This section explains how astronomers determine parallax, apparent and intrinsic brightness, and
the temperature and energy of a star. The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the life cycle of stars is
also covered.
Chapter 5: Relativity
Einstein’s theories of Special Relativity and General Relativity are presented here, with the help of
Mr. Physics, spaceships, and the Twin Paradox.
Chapter 6: The Large-scale Structure of the Universe
After an explanation of the Cosmological Principle and Hubble’s Law, the program ends with a
description of the Big Bang and the creation of the first protons, neutrons, electrons, and atoms
— and how they eventually formed the large-scale structures of the universe.
Fast Facts
• According to ancient Hindu scriptures, the universe was born from a single cosmic seed (which
already contained all material forms and activities) and it undergoes continuous cycles of expansion
and collapse.
• In the early 17th century, Galileo Galilei perfected the telescope, and was able to use it to see
mountains on the moon, the rings of Saturn, and even the tiny satellites clearly orbiting Jupiter.
His observations led him to question then-current teachings on the solar system. He lived the
rest of his life under house arrest because of his challenge to the geocentric model of the universe.
• The gravitational pull from all the planets on the sun gives it a tiny wobble as it, too, rotates
around the solar system’s true center of gravity. This wobbly motion is what astronomers use to
detect the presence of planets in distant solar systems.
• The sun contains 99.86% of the mass in our solar system. And because the sun is 73% hydrogen,
the vast majority of matter in the solar system is actually hydrogen (the rest is mostly helium,
oxygen, and carbon).
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Instructor’s Guide
• Stars have slightly different colors. This is because light emitted at a certain temperature also has
a certain color. Stars in the red and orange end of the light spectrum are cooler, while stars on the
blue end are hotter.
• According to Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity, speed itself can distort space and time, as
illustrated by the Twin Paradox. If one twin boards a spaceship, accelerates at nearly the speed of
light, and travels for 20 years according to a clock on his ship, when he returns to earth 20 years
will have passed, and he will appear 20 years older. But, for the twin who stayed behind, 46 years
will have passed!
• Many people think of the solar system as consisting mainly of the planets, their satellites, and
the sun. But astronomers also include celestial bodies called centaurs, trojans, trans-Neptunian
objects, scattered disk objects, and the dwarf planet Haumea, which is shaped something like a
football.
• The wind on Neptune can reach speeds of up to 2,400 miles per second. • While the other planets in the solar system rotate counter-clockwise, Venus rotates clockwise.
Astronomers think this may be due to tidal effects on its thick atmosphere.
• Mars is home to the largest-known volcano in the solar system. At almost 17 miles tall, Olympus
Mons is about three times the height of Mount Everest.
Vocabulary Terms
acceleration: A change in velocity; the rate of change of velocity with respect to time.
apparent brightness: The amount of light that reaches the eyes. The apparent brightness of a star
is measured in flux.
asteroid: Any of the small planets that revolve around the sun, with orbits lying chiefly between
Mars and Jupiter. Also called a minor planet or planetoid.
astronomical unit (AU): A unit of length equal to the mean distance of the earth from the sun,
approximately 93 million miles. average velocity: Change in position over change in time, or, distance traveled divided by the time
it took to get there.
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Big Bang: A model of the initial conditions and subsequent development of the universe. The
theory deduces the explosion of a small (smaller than a dime!), hot, dense mass about 13 billion years
ago which eventually resulted in the scattering of elements that then formed the stars and planets.
The idea was first proposed in 1927, and is based on the observed expansion of the universe, cosmic
background radiation, abundance of the elements, and the laws of physics.
Big Bang nucleosynthesis: Era in the early universe when elementary particles first combined to
form atomic nuclei.
center of gravity: The weighted average of the positions of all objects in a given gravitational
system, for instance, the solar system.
Copernicus, Nicolaus: 1473-1543, Polish astronomer who proposed the heliocentric theory that
the earth and the other planets move around the sun, and that the stars are fixed.
cosmological principle: The principle that states that the universe has no center, and that it
appears the same in every direction from every point in space.
flux: A measure for apparent brightness.
heliocentric: Having or representing the earth as a center, as in ‘a geocentric theory of the
universe.’
gravity: One of the four fundamental forces in nature, it is the force of attraction by which objects
tend to pull towards each other. On Earth, gravity is a constant value of -9.8 meters per second
squared.
geocentric: Having or representing the sun as a center, as in “a heliocentric theory of the universe.”
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram: A graph that shows the life cycle of a star. It has axes for temperature,
color, and brightness.
Hubble’s Law: Named after Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer who first discovered that the
universe was expanding, it is a formula that helps us measure the rate of expansion of the universe.
Hubble’s Law states that the recessional velocity of a galaxy is proportional to its distance from us.
intrinsic brightness: Also called luminosity, it is the amount of light a star emits at a given time.
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Kepler, Johannes: 1571–1630, German astronomer, astrologer, and mathematician. Considered
the founder of modern astronomy, he formulated three laws to describe how the planets revolve
around the sun.
Law of Universal Gravitation: A law of physics that describes the gravitational attraction between
bodies with mass.
main sequence: A narrow band in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram in which 90 percent of all
observed stars are plotted.
Newton, Isaac: 1642–1727, English philosopher, theologian, and mathematician, and formulator
of the Law of Universal Gravitation.
orbit: The curved path, usually elliptical, of a planet, satellite, etc., around a celestial body, for
instance the sun.
parallax: An angle used for measuring the distance of a star from Earth.
period: In astronomy, one full orbit. A period of rotation is the time in which a body rotates once
on its axis. A period of revolution is the time in which a planet or satellite revolves once about its
primary.
red giant: A star of great size and brightness, with a reddish hue, that has a relatively low surface
temperature. A red giant would be found in the upper right of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.
Theory of General Relativity: Einstein’s theory stating that gravity is a kind of curvature of space
and time, or space-time. Wherever matter exists, it bends space-time around it, creating the influence of gravity. General relativity explains that space and time are bound together.
Theory of Special Relativity: Einstein’s theory stating that (a) all observers are the same in respect
to all laws of physics (in other words, there is no such thing as a special perspective; if you are in
a closed box moving at constant velocity, no experiment you do inside the box can tell you how
fast the box is moving); and (b) the speed of light is always the same in a vacuum (for instance, the
speed of light will remain the same for an observer inside the closed box, even if the box itself is
moving at a large fraction of the speed of light). Special relativity explains the nature of the universe
at high speeds.
white dwarf: A star, approximately the size of the earth, that has undergone gravitational collapse
and is in the final stage of evolution for low-mass stars, beginning hot and white and ending cold
and dark. A white dwarf would be found in the lower left of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.
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Instructor’s Guide
Pre-Program Discussion Questions
1. What is the difference between speed and acceleration?
2. What is parallax?
3. What do you think Einstein’s theories of Special and General Relativity were all about?
4. Why do you think some stars look brighter than others?
5. Do scientists have proof of the Big Bang, or is it just a theoretical explanation?
Post-Program Discussion Questions
1. What is orbital velocity? Escape velocity?
2. What was Kepler’s main contribution to astronomy?
3. Do you have a better idea now of what Einstein’s theories were about?
4. Why do you think some stars look brighter than others?
5. How can astronomers detect the presence of planets in distant solar systems?
Student Projects
• Present an explanation of the Big Bang, including evidence, unresolved issues, and implications
for the future. Your presentation can be in the form of a written report, chart, series of labeled
drawings, or even a video or song. (You may also want to include descriptions and comparisons
of other cosmological models and origin myths.)
• Working with other students, make a series of posters depicting an up-to-date representation
of the solar system. Besides the Sun, Moon, and eight planets, your work should feature lesserknown celestial bodies such as the five dwarf planets and the Small Solar System Bodies (e.g.,
asteroids and the trans-Neptunian objects). • Research and report on galaxies. Include information on the classification of galaxies, how they
form, what they are composed of, how many galaxies astronomers estimate exist, how large they
are, and how far apart from each other. How do astronomers obtain this information on galaxies? Include visuals, or links to Web sites that contain images of different galaxies.
• Explore space at www.nasa.gov. Create a report on the history of the space program, including
the latest NASA missions. Or, report on the variety of career opportunities, internships, and
cooperative programs available at NASA. Did you know that NASA needs historians, writers,
educators, and lawyers, along with mathematicians, technicians, and astronauts?
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Instructor’s Guide
• Using the library and Internet, learn more about some of the topics touched on in Planets, Stars,
and Galaxies. Present your findings in the form of a news story or magazine article, and include
illustrations. Possible topics: space tourism; sunspots; light pollution; the Herschel Space Observatory; the physics of time travel; black holes.
• Should we continue to explore space? Or, does the space program divert funds from urgent problems still to be solved on Earth? What has the space program achieved, and what are its possible
future benefits? Work with other students to conduct a debate on this. Participants should back up
their positions with statistics and information from a variety of reputable sources.
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Instructor’s Guide
Assessment Questions
1. Galileo used the telescope to observe _____. [Choose all that apply]
a) mountains on the moon
b) canals on Mars
c) the rings of Saturn
d) the moons of Jupiter
2. _____ stated that planets — including the Earth — move around the sun, challenging the
geocentric model of the solar system. Because the Bible states that the Earth does not move, he was
placed under house arrest for heresy.
a) Giordano Bruno
b) Nicolaus Copernicus
c) Johannes Kepler
d) Galileo
3. _____ is change in position over change in time.
a) Acceleration
b) Gravity
c) Average velocity
d) Average acceleration
4. _____ is one of the most important causes of acceleration.
a) Orbital velocity
b) Escape velocity
c) Gravity
d) Spin
5. The shape of a planetary orbit is a(n) _____.
a) ellipse
b) period
c) circle
d) astronomical unit
6. Parallax is _____.
a) the apparent brightness of a star
b) used for measuring the distance of a star from Earth
c) measured using flux
d) also called ‘luminosity’
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Instructor’s Guide
7. The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram uses luminosity, color, and temperature to _____.
a) calculate the launch of satellites aimed at the stars
b) calculate the time of the Big Bang
c) determine the distance between stars
d) depict the life cycle of a star
8. After billions of years, our sun will become a _____ that eventually sheds its outer envelope of
gas to reveal a white dwarf.
a) red dwarf
b) red giant
c) white giant
d) blue star
9. The Theory of General Relativity explains _____.
a) that the recessional velocity of a galaxy is proportional to its distance from us
b) that when gravity is weak or absent, a spaceship can travel greater than the speed of light
c) the nature of the universe at high speeds, as illustrated by the Twin Paradox
d) that gravity is a kind of curvature of space and time, and that space and time are bound
together
10. The Theory of Special Relativity explains _____.
a) that the recessional velocity of a galaxy is proportional to its distance from us
b) that when gravity is weak or absent, a spaceship can travel greater than the speed of light
c) the nature of the universe at high speeds, as illustrated by the Twin Paradox
d) that gravity is a kind of curvature of space and time, and that space and time are bound
together
11. The universe began as dense energy, which then expanded and cooled, eventually creating
protons, neutrons, and electrons. Then atomic nuclei were formed, and later, hydrogen atoms,
at which point gravity drew larger and larger masses together, forming the universe as we know
it today. This is known as _____.
a) the Big Bang Theory
b) the cosmological principle
c) the Lorentz Transformation
c) Hubble’s Law
12. True or False? The universe is still expanding outward as a result of the Big Bang.
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Assessment Questions Answer Key
1. Galileo used the telescope to observe _____. [Choose all that apply]
a) mountains on the moon
b) canals on Mars
c) the rings of Saturn
d) the moons of Jupiter
A: (a) mountains on the moon; (c) the rings of Saturn; (d) the moons of Jupiter
2. _____ stated that planets — including the Earth — move around the sun, challenging the
geocentric model of the solar system. Because the Bible states that the Earth does not move, he was
placed under house arrest for heresy.
a) Giordano Bruno
b) Nicolaus Copernicus
c) Johannes Kepler
d) Galileo
A: (d) Galileo
3. _____ is change in position over change in time.
a) Acceleration
b) Gravity
c) Average velocity
d) Average acceleration
A: (c) Average velocity
4. _____ is one of the most important causes of acceleration.
a) Orbital velocity
b) Escape velocity
c) Gravity
d) Spin
A: (c) Gravity
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Instructor’s Guide
5. The shape of a planetary orbit is a(n) _____.
a) ellipse
b) period
c) circle
d) astronomical unit
A: (a) ellipse
6. Parallax is _____.
a) the apparent brightness of a star
b) used for measuring the distance of a star from Earth
c) measured using flux
d) also called ‘luminosity’
A: (b) the method for measuring the distance of a star from Earth
7. The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram uses luminosity, color, and temperature to _____.
a) calculate the launch of satellites aimed at the stars
b) calculate the time of the Big Bang
c) determine the distance between stars
d) depict the life cycle of a star
A: (d) depict the life cycle of a star
8. After billions of years, our sun will become a _____ that eventually sheds its outer envelope of
gas to reveal a white dwarf.
a) red dwarf
b) red giant
c) white giant
d) blue star
A: (b) red giant
9. The Theory of General Relativity explains _____.
a) that the recessional velocity of a galaxy is proportional to its distance from us
b) that when gravity is weak or absent, a spaceship can travel greater than the speed of light
c) the nature of the universe at high speeds, as illustrated by the Twin Paradox
d) that gravity is a kind of curvature of space and time, and that space and time are bound
together
A: (d) that gravity is a kind of curvature of space and time, and that space and time are bound together
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Instructor’s Guide
10. The Theory of Special Relativity explains _____.
a) that the recessional velocity of a galaxy is proportional to its distance from us
b) that when gravity is weak or absent, a spaceship can travel greater than the speed of light
c) the nature of the universe at high speeds, as illustrated by the Twin Paradox
d) that gravity is a kind of curvature of space and time, and that space and time are bound
together
A: (c) the nature of the universe at high speeds, as illustrated by the Twin Paradox
11. The universe began as dense energy, which then expanded and cooled, eventually creating
protons, neutrons, and electrons. Then atomic nuclei were formed, and later, hydrogen atoms,
at which point gravity drew larger and larger masses together, forming the universe as we know
it today. This is known as _____.
a) the Big Bang Theory
b) the cosmological principle
c) the Lorentz Transformation
c) Hubble’s Law
A: (a) the Big Bang Theory
12. True or False? The universe is still expanding outward as a result of the Big Bang.
A: True
Additional Resources
ScienCentral
Science Videos, Science News
www.sciencentral.com
HubbleSite
Out of the ordinary…out of this world
http://hubblesite.org
International Dark-Sky Association
www.darksky.org
NASA
www.nasa.gov
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Physics in Actions
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Instructor’s Guide
Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Mapping the Universe
www.sdss.org
PhysOrg
Science : Physics : Tech : Nano : News
www.physorg.com
Science Daily
News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology
www.sciencedaily.com
ational Science Foundation
N
www.nsf.gov
PhysLink.com
Physics & Astronomy Online
www.physlink.com
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Cambridge Core Science Series: Space Science (DVD/VHS)
Introduce your students to astronomy, astrophysics, aerospace engineering, the history of space exploration, and the process of scientific inquiry with this eight-part series. Highlights include incredible
footage from orbiting observatories and space probes, commentary by leading scientists and researchers, and animated diagrams that make complex concepts easier to understand. Correlates to National
Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and Standards for the
English Language Arts. A Cambridge Educational Production. Viewable/printable instructor’s guides
are available online. The series includes The Planets | The Sun and Stars | Just How Big Is Space? |
The Invisible Universe | Black Holes, Pulsars, and Other Odd Bodies | Yesterday the Moon, Tomorrow
Mars? | Living in Space | Is Anybody Out There? (8-part series, 23-29 minutes each) © 2006 (# 34740)
Copyright © 2010 Films for the Humanities & Sciences® • www.films.com • 1-800-257-5126
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Physics in Actions
PLANETS, STARS, AND GALAXIES
Instructor’s Guide
Behind the Big Bang Theory (DVD/VHS)
This Science Screen Report demonstrates how the Big Bang is thought to have occurred, and examines principles scientists use to support the theory. Beginning with the establishment of the concept
in 1948, the program guides students through the detection of the Cosmic Background Radiation
in the 1960s, which provided solid evidence of the Big Bang, to the ways in which the Hubble
Space Telescope and terrestrial facilities have helped scientists elaborate on this centerpiece of modern cosmology. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. Correlates to National
Science Education Standards. Produced in association with the Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology and the Junior Engineering Technical Society. (16 minutes) © 2004 (# 34119)
The
Cosmos: A Beginner’s Guide (DVD/VHS)
This six-part series explores the many scientific avenues toward cosmic awareness, guiding viewers
through recent findings and theories that involve the biggest questions anyone can ask. When did
time and existence begin? What creates and powers the stars? How long will the Earth and its living
cargo survive? These and myriad other queries are addressed, with help from superb 3-D animation
and leading experts in astronomy, exobiology, astrophysics, and cosmology. Produced by the Open
University. The series includes: Life in the Cosmos | Building the Universe | Seeing the Universe | Exploring the Cosmos | The Violent Universe | Earthlike Worlds in Space. (26-30 minutes each)
© 2007 (# 39360)
Gravitation (DVD/VHS)
Although gravity is the weakest of the fundamental forces, it is nevertheless the most universal
— and the easiest to demonstrate! This program demystifies the properties and behavior of gravity
with the help of real-world illustrations and animated graphics. Topics include the four fundamental
forces or interactions; Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation; the physics involved in microgravity
environments; the role played by gravity in the trajectories of space vehicles and satellites, including
geostationary satellites; gravitational field strength and other planets; and the inverse square nature
of the law of gravitation. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (32 minutes)
(32 minutes) © 2005 (# 40302)
Einstein Made Relatively Easy (DVD/VHS)
Introducing EinSteinchen, an animated techno-Einstein who has a genius for explaining physics. In section one of this DVD, this likable know-it-all elucidates 12 essential topics in 90-second
segments that are perfect for launching lectures or illustrating concepts. Section two departs from
EinSteinchen’s virtual world to show 12 cutting-edge applications or studies of Einsteinian physics
in high-level mini-documentaries of two to five minutes in length. A Deutsche Welle Production.
(60 minutes) © 2006 (# 35602)
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Copyright © 2010 Films for the Humanities & Sciences® • www.films.com • 1-800-257-5126
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