How is the universe expanding like a balloon?
How is the universe expanding like a balloon?
The balloon is the universe, and as more air is blown into it, you would see the space or surface area of the universe expanding and every point on its surface getting further and further away from one other. It’s been suggested that this idea ties into the likely existence of multiverses, or multiple universes.
What does the balloon represent as the universe expands?
Each dot represents a galaxy. When you inflate the balloon, the dots slowly move away from each other because the rubber stretches in the space between them. This stretching of space, which causes the distance between galaxies to increase, is what astronomers mean by the expansion of the Universe.
What is the balloon analogy?
The Balloon Analogy is a simple-minded way to help describe (but not completely describe) two facts of cosmology that are difficult for many people to see, namely that the universe is expanding uniformly and that there is no center (and no edge).
Is a balloon 2 dimensional?
But like any model, it has its limitations. For one thing, the surface of the balloon (where you drew the dots) is two-dimensional, while the universe is three-dimensional.
How is the universe like raisin bread dough?
One famous analogy to explain the expanding universe is imagining the universe like a loaf of raisin bread dough. As the bread rises and expands, the raisins move farther away from each other, but they are still stuck in the dough.
Who first discovered that many galaxies are moving away from Earth?
Hubble
By plotting the distance of eighteen galaxies against their red shifts, Hubble discovered a direct relationship: Galaxies were moving away from earth at a rate proportional to their distance from us. Hubble’s discovery was not just unexpected, but monumental.
What do you observe about the size of the dots and the distance between the dots as the balloon gets larger?
Answer: On the inflating balloon, the dots you made will become larger in size as you inflate it. In our Universe, however, the galaxies stay the same size; it is just the space between the galaxies that increases as the Universe expands.
Why is universe so big?
The Universe is so big because it is constantly expanding, and it does so at a speed that even exceeds the speed of light. Space itself is actually growing, and this is going on for around 14 billion years or so.
How is the balloon analogy used in cosmology?
Balloon Analogy in Cosmology The expanding balloon analogy for cosmological models is shown below at two different times. A common misconception is that the balloon is expanding into empty space that is “beyond the Universe” and that it is expanding from a single point in the center of the balloon.
How are balloons related to the expansion of the universe?
The following diagrams represent a balloon analogy for the expansion of the universe. Each diagram shows two balloons: The small pink balloon represents the universe at an early time and the large red balloon represents the universe at some later time. The black dot on each balloon represents a galaxy.
What does cosmology really say about space expansion?
In other words, what cosmology REALLY says is not that space stretches or expands but rather just simply that gravitationally bound systems keep getting farther away from each other. It is DISTANCE that is changing, not space. This is another of those things that are badly served by the balloon analogy.
Why is the inflation balloon analogy so bad?
The analogy is disliked (often intensely disliked) by serious physicists because it causes at least as much confusion as it is intended to avoid and is often badly misunderstood and/or incorrectly extrapolated to ridiculous points of view and this article is intended to help with that problem.