San Beda College Alabang

Alabang Hills Village, Muntinlupa City

LEARNING MODULE # 1
First Semester, SY: 2021-2022
(SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS)

SUBJECT TITLE AND SUBJECT CODE: PHYSICAL SCIENCE (SCIE 112)

TOPIC: The Big Bang Theory

Period Covered: Week 1 (Day 1 and Day 2)

DepEd’s MELC with Code:

LEARNING OBJECTIVE/S:

1. Give evidence for and describe the formation of heavier elements during star formation and evolution.

2. Recall evidences and explain the formation of the light elements in the Big Bang theory.

3. Describe the presented evidence for and describe the formation of heavier elements during star
formation and evolution.

INTRODUCTION:

The Big Bang Theory is the leading explanation on how the universe began. At its simplest, the universe
we know started with a small singularity, then inflated over the next 14 billion years to the beautiful and
complex cosmos it is today.

Like any thinking human being, we ask questions regarding the universe. Thinkers and philosophers
seek answer to questions about its’ beginning. Even modern – day scientist like Stephen Hawking never stop
looking for answers about how our universe came into being. Apparently, there are numerous studies,
experiments and researches conducted by scientists in order to come up with best possible explanations
supported with excellent evidences . Presently, studies and researches are continuously and vigorously being
conducted in the different institutions and universities in the world.
ENGAGE:

THE SHORT STORY OF THE BIG BANG THEORY

In 1927 a Roman Catholic priest and scientist Georges Lemaitre proposed what later became
known as the Big Bang theory of the origin of the Universe, based on the work by Edwin Hubble who
theorized and then proved that the Universe was getting bigger and bigger. Many scientists have
discovered other evidence that confirms that the theory might be correct. They think that the Big Bang
happened 13 to 15 billion years ago.

Big Bang theorists are called cosmologists, because they study the cosmos. They tell us that before
the Big Bang, the entire universe fit into a space that would make a grain of sand but absolutely colossal.
Everything that exists, from a blade of grass to Sirius, the Dog Star, all fit into a very, very tiny space, all
compacted together. Then suddenly, there was an explosion, and the universe began to spread out.
Expanding at the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second, the universe continues to expand
today, and no one is sure when it might end, but it’s estimated to be billions of years in the future.

The Big Bang theory does not explain how the universe began, or where all of the “stuff” in it
comes from, or how it was created. Scientists are certain that the universe has a beginning, but are not
certain what that was. Science does not and cannot explain or describe “the beginning” and only the
general evolution of our universe from a possible point in time can be make sense of.

Even in our modern times, we are still searching for the answers to the miracle of life, and our
place in the universe. Science can propose a theory that seems logical and correct. It can be backed up by
many years of research that proves more and more conclusively that the Big Bang theory may be the right
answer, and yet, nobody knows how all of the matter in the universe came to be.

Now, share your basic understanding on how the universe was formed by answering the following
questions:

1. How everything in the universe came to be?

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_.

2. What may there have been before the Big Bang?

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.

3. What does it mean that the universe is expanding? Where it is expanding into?

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
EXPLORE:

Activity 1:

Note: This activity is the foundation of interest of the learners to recall their knowledge about Earth
Science. It captures the attention of the learners and helps them express their ideas regarding different
cosmological concepts and principles.

PART 1- Directions: Share your ideas and knowledge about the creation of the universe through the two
leading principles namely the scientific and biblical perspectives.

I. Scientific Explanation of the Origin of the Universe: _________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.

II. Biblical Explanation of the Origin of the Universe: ___________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________.

PART 2- Directions: Choose between the two explanations or perspectives. Select which you think is the
best one to explain the origin of the universe. Justify your answer (Maximum of eight sentences and
minimum of four sentences).

______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
__.

EXPLAIN:

I. THE BIG BANG THEORY

The Big Bang theory is how astronomers explain scientifically the way the universe began. In 1927,
Georges Lemaître states his idea that the universe began as just a single point or much well known as the
singularity.

But further understanding of the Big Bang can be credited to Edwin Hubble. Hubble made the
observation that the universe is continuously expanding. He discovered that a galaxy’s velocity is
proportional to its distance. Galaxies that are twice as far from us move twice as fast. Another
consequence is that the universe is expanding in every direction. This observation means that it has taken
every galaxy the same amount of time to move from a common starting position to its current position.
Just as the Big Bang provided for the foundation of the universe, Hubble’s observations provided for the
foundation of the Big Bang theory. Since the Big Bang, the universe has been continuously expanding and,
thus, there has been more and more distance between clusters of galaxies. This phenomenon of galaxies
moving farther away from each other is known as the red shift. As light from distant galaxies approach
earth there is an increase of space between earth and the galaxy, which leads to wavelengths being
stretched.
THE BEGINNING

When the universe began, it was just hot, and tiny particles mixed with light and energy. It was
nothing like what we see now. As everything expanded and took up more space, it cooled down. The tiny
particles grouped together. They formed atoms. Then those atoms grouped together. Over a long period
of time, atoms came together to form stars and galaxies. The first stars created bigger atoms and groups
of atoms called molecules. That led to more stars being born. At the same time, galaxies were crashing
and grouping together. As new stars were being born and dying, then things like asteroids, comets,
planets, and black holes were formed.

The conditions in the rapidly expanding and cooling universe following the Big Bang were such that
only simple matter was formed. The universe was filled with hydrogen (H) and small amounts of helium
(He). As the universe expanded, galaxies formed in areas of higher concentrations of H and He and stars
formed within the galaxies in areas of highest concentrations of H and He.

As hydrogen and helium began to form in the early universe, there were some areas where it was
denser than in others. Gravity took over and eventually these atoms were pulled together into massive
clouds gas in the vastness of space. Once these clouds became large enough, they were drawn together
by gravity with enough force to actually cause the atomic nuclei to fuse, in a process called nuclear fusion.

II. STELLAR EVOLUTION

Stellar evolution is a description of the way that stars change with time. On human timescales,
most stars do not appear to change at all, but if we were to look for billions of years, we would see how
stars are born, how they age, and finally how they die. The primary factor determining how a star evolves
is its mass as it reaches the main sequence. The following is a brief outline tracing the evolution of a low-
mass and a high-mass star:

A. Stellar Nucleosynthesis: Stellar Nucleosynthesis is the collective term for the nuclear reactions taking
place in stars to build the nuclei of the heavier elements. The processes involved began to be understood
early in the twentieth century, when it was first realized that the energy released from nuclear reactions
accounted for the longevity of the Sun as a source of heat and light.

B. Evolution of Stars: The star formation theory which is always related to the Big Bang theory, proposes
that stars form due to the collapse of the dense regions of a molecular cloud. As the cloud collapses, the
fragments contract to form a stellar core called protostar. And due to strong gravitational force, the
protostar contracts and its temperature increases and its’ core temperature reaches about 10 million K
equivalents to 9999726.85 Celsius. Nuclear reactions then begin. The reactions release positrons and
neutrinos which increase pressure and stop the contraction. When the contraction stops, the gravitational
equilibrium is reached, and the protostar has become a main sequence star. In the core of a main
sequence star, hydrogen is fused into helium via the proton-proton chain. When most of the hydrogen in
the core is fused into helium, fusion stops, and the pressure in the core decreases. Gravity squeezes the
star to a point that helium and hydrogen burning occur. Helium is converted to carbon in the core while
hydrogen is converted to helium in the shell surrounding the core. The star has become a red giant.
However, the fate of a massive star is different. A massive star has enough mass such that temperature and pressure
increase to a point where carbon fusion can occur. The star goes through a series of stages where heavier elements
are fused in the core and in the shells around the core. The element oxygen is formed from carbon fusion; neon from
oxygen fusion; magnesium from neon fusion: silicon from magnesium fusion; and iron from silicon fusion. The star
becomes a multiple-shell red giant.

The fusion of elements continues until iron is formed by silicon fusion. Elements lighter than iron can be fused because
when two of these elements combine, they produce a nucleus with a mass lower than the sum of their masses. The
missing mass is released as energy. Therefore, the fusion of elements lighter than iron releases energy. However, this
does not happen to iron nuclei. Rather than releasing energy, the fusion of two iron nuclei requires an input of energy.
Therefore, elements lighter than and including iron can be produced in a massive star, but no elements heavier than
iron are produced. When the core can no longer produce energy to resist gravity, the star is doomed. Gravity squeezes
the core until the star explodes and releases a large amount of energy. The star explosion is called a supernova.

IN SUMMARY: “The universe begins with a cataclysm that generates space and time, as well as all the matter and
energy the universe will ever hold. For an incomprehensibly small fraction of a second, the universe is an infinitely
dense, hot fireball. After inflation, one millionth of a second after the Big Bang, the universe continues to expand
but not nearly so quickly. As it expands, it becomes less dense and cools. The most basic forces in nature become
distinct: first gravity, then the strong force, which holds nuclei of atoms together, followed by the weak and
electromagnetic forces. By the first second, the universe is made up of fundamental particles and energy: quarks,
electrons, photons, neutrinos and less familiar types. These particles smash together to form protons and neutrons.”
ELABORATE:

_____J. The temperature is at 1010 Kelvin. Time here is 10-6 second. Here the universe cooled down for
LET US KEEP ON LEARNING!
Quarks to bind or formed. The quarks will then form the Protons and Neutrons.
Activity 2:_____K.
Formation
Theoftemperature
Basic Elements
is at 1036 Kelvin. Time here is 10-43 second. At the end of this epoch, the
Protons
Strongand neutrons
Nuclear Forcecome
broketogether
away. to form the nuclei of simple elements: hydrogen, helium and
lithium. It_____L.
will takeThe
another 300,000 years
temperature is at for
1020electrons
Kelvin. to be captured
Time into orbits
here is 10-32 around
second. Herethese
the nuclei
Weak toForce and
form stable atoms. Then the
Electromagnetic formation
Force of basic
finally split elements follows
off too.
Now, to widen
_____M. your knowledge
The temperature is at regarding theTime
1012 Kelvin. formation
here isof such1 elements,
about watch
second. Here the this videoand
Protons onNeutrons
YouTube:are starting to change.
[Link] : Afterwards, answer the activity
below: _____N. The temperature is at 1033 Kelvin. Time here is 10-36 second. Here the universe rapidly
expanded. Almost instantly it grew from a size of an atom into the size of a grape fruit. The universe this
time
Directions: is very
Now you hot
are and
donenow contains
watching theelectrons, quarks,
video about theand other of
creation particles.
matter in the Big Bang Theory,
arrange the following by putting numbers chronologically on the space provided before each number.
Please write numbers 1-14.
_____A. Time here is about 2,000,000 years. Here the many Helium and Hydrogen (gases) in the different
places of the universe were attracted by the presence of gravity. The two chemical elements EVALUATION:
(gas formed)
_____4. It is the collective term for the nuclear reactions taking place in stars to build the nuclei of the
clusteredheavier
and coalesced,
elements: thus forming stellar nebula and galaxies.
PART 1- Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer on the space provided before
_____B. Out of nothing a singularity occurred. The singularity is a hot dense and infinitely dense point and
each
A. [Link] formation
Primordial GLOCAL ISSUE:
only a few millimetres wide. It was similar to a super-charged black hole.
_____1.
B. It is a continuum
Space-time mathematical point that is dense and hot, therefore containing the primordial fireball that
_____C. The temperature is at 1040 Kelvin. Time here existed immediately. It contains only energy and
will
LETmake the quarks and leptons and other particles:
US REFLECT!
still [Link]
LET no Nucleosynthesis
US matter.
CLARIFY AN ISSUE!
It also has the superforce or the four fundamental forces of nature namely:
A. Primordial fireball
Reflect on this statement: “The Big Bang theory helps prove the existence of God or a Creator.”
Gravity, Strong
D. Nuclear
Stellar
There force,issues
areEvolution
several Weakandforce and Electromagnetic
questions surrounding Force.
the BigAtBang
the end of this
theory. epoch,
Now, gravity
choose onewill
among the
(Maximum
[Link]
Space-time of 7 sentences
continuum and minimum of 4 sentences).
be gone or split and
following away. answer
PART 2- Directions: Putitnumbers
to the best
1 toof6your abilities.
to the following statements in order to chronologically show the
_____D. TheC. temperature
sequence ofisevolution
Singularity at 1016 Kelvin. Time here is 10-12 second. Here all the particles as ingredients
______________________________________________________________________________________
right of stars:
______________________________________________________________________________________
of the universe are already present. However the universe in this time is still too hot making it very
D. Quark
_____A. formation
Supernova
______________________________________________________________________________________
difficult for subatomic particles to form.
______________________________________________________________________________________
_____2.
_____B. It
Mainis a Sequence
descriptionStar
of the way that stars change with time:
_____E. Time here is about 3,000, 000,000 years. Here stars are formed. And stars will undergo different
______________________________________________________________________________________
A. Nucleosynthesis
_____C.
life stages. And inProtostar
______________________________________________________________________________________
some life stages of the stars, the remaining elements of the periodic table are formed.
______________________________________________________________________________________
B. Nucleation
_____D.
Lastly, planets, Red and
moons Giant
other celestial bodies will be formed.
______________________________________________________________________________________
_____F. TheC. temperature
Stellar
_____E. Evolution is at Red
3000Giant
Kelvin. Time here is about 50,000 years. Here the universe cooled
______________________________________________________________________________________
Multiple Shell
______________________________________________________________________________________
enough making it possible for electron to attach to the nuclei for the first time. The said attachment is
D. Big Bang
_____ theory
F. Stellar Nebula
______________________________________________________________________________________
called Recombination. Here the next chemical element, the Hydrogen is formed.
______________________________________________________________________________________
_____3. He is Roman Catholic priest and scientist who proposed what later became known as the Big Bang
____ G. The temperature is at 109 Kelvin. Time here is about 100 second. Here the Protons and Neutrons
______________________________________________________________________________________
theory of the origin of the Universe:
fused forming nuclei, therefore also forming the first chemical element, the Helium.
________________________________________________________________________________ .
A. Edwin Hubble
_____H. About 13.7 billion years ago, the singularity violently exploded. But for some scientists SELF-RELECTION:
it didn’t
B. Stephen
explode, but instead Hawking
it expanded.
_____I. From the saidLemaitre
C. Georges explosion or expansion, all matter, energy, time and space were created.

D. Fred Hoyle
 1. What happened in that initial instant we call the Planck Era (0 to 10-43 seconds)? Our current physics
does not allow for measurements of such small periods of time and space.
2. What was the mechanism for galactic formation? Cosmologists seem to be getting some resolution on
this issue.
3. Where is the Dark Matter? What and where is Dark Energy?
4. Where did the initial matter and radiation come from? Who did it – or did anyone?
5. What is the age of the Universe? Yet this issue seems to be less and less of a question among physical
cosmologists, given a much better-defined number for Hubble’s constant (Ho) and other
supplementary cosmological data.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.

ASSIGNMENT:

A. Lesson Enrichment

In addition to our topic, let us continue to engage in deepening our knowledge to develop collaborative ideas
through a simple research to answer the following questions:

1. Who is Stephen Hawking?

2. What is his theory all about?

B. Next Lesson Preparation

1. Read the concept of atoms and the atomic theory

VALUES INTEGRATION:

 What BEDAN values have you learned after reading and answering activities in the first lesson of
the module? Please answer briefly:
REFERENCES:

 Punzalan, J. M. & Monserrat, R.C (2016). Science in Today’s World, Physical Science: Textbook for
Senior High School Students, Sibs Publishing House, Inc.,

 Caintic, Helen. (2016). Physical Science: Textbook for Senior High School Students, C & E Publishing
House, Inc.

 Santiago, Karen S., et al. (2016) Exploring Life through Science Series: Physical Science Test for Senior
High School. Quezon City: The Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.,

 Quiming, N. S. (2016). General Chemistry 1: Textbook for Senior High School Students, Vibal Publishing
House.,

 Wilson, J. D (2016). An introduction to Physical Science, 1st Edition. Rex Bookstore, Inc.

 De Winter, J. (2020) The Big Bang and Universe: [Link]

 Lawrence, J. (2020) Livermore National Laboratory:

 [Link]

 Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (2020)

 [Link]