1 LU_Physical Science_Module 16

Senior High School

Physical Science
The Speeds and Distances of Far-off
Objects and The Expanding
Universe

2 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. explain how the speeds and distances of far-off objects are estimated
(e.g., doppler effect and cosmic ladder) (S11/12PS-IVj-72) Learning
Objectives:
a. define doppler effect and cosmic ladder
b. discuss how the speeds and distances of far-off objects are
estimated using doppler effect and cosmic ladder
c. solve problems involving cosmic ladder and doppler effect

2. explain how we know that we live in an expanding universe, which used

to be hot and is approximately 14 billion years old (S11/12PS-IVj-73)
Learning Objectives:
a. define Hubble’s Law
b. differentiate blue shift from red shift
c. solve problems using the Hubble’s law equation

PRE-TEST

Direction: Read each item carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer.

1. What branch of Astronomy deals with the study of motions of celestial

bodies?
A. Parallax B. Celestial Mechanics
C. Astronomical Unit D. Cosmic Distance Ladder

2. What method do astronomers use in determining the distances of celestial

objects?
A. Redshift B. Cosmic Distance Ladder
C. Doppler Effect D. Cosmic Microwave Background

3. The following units are used to measure distances among celestial bodies in
the universe EXCEPT for ________.
A. Meters B. Light Years
C. Parsec D. Astronomical Unit

4. What does the letter c represent from the

equation?

A. Speed of light B. Original or rest wavelength

C. Measured wavelength D. Speed of the Celestial bodies

5. Which one describes the relationship between a star’s distance and its
parallax?
A. Parallax B. Arc Second
C. Light year D. Parallax Second/Parsec

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6. Which is the most common method of measuring distances of far-off objects?
A. Redshift B. Cosmic Distance Ladder
C. Doppler Effect D. Cosmic Microwave Background

7. Which of the following correctly describes one astronomical unit?

A. The distance of the nearest Galaxy
B. The distance of the Earth from the sun
C. The distance that Earth travels in a year
D. The distance of the Earth to the nearest planet in the solar system

8. Which statement supports the term observable universe?

A. That portion of the universe can be seen by the naked eye.
B. That portion of the universe that we have so far photographed
through telescopes.
C. That portion of the universe that we can see in principle, given the
current age of the universe.
D. That portion of the universe that is not hidden from view by, for
example, is below the horizon.
9. How do we call this variable where there is expanding and contracting of
stars causing their brightness to change in a very regular way?
A. Cepheid B. Parallax
C. Doppler D. Supernova

10.How do we determine that the objects are closer to us or further away in the
sky?
A. Parallax Shift B. Stellar parallax
C. Parallax angle D. Parallax triangulation

11.Which of the following correctly illustrates the luminosity of a star? I.

Measure the apparent brightness of a star.
II. The measure of the absolute brightness of a star
III. Depends on the radius and temperature of a star.
IV. The total amount of energy emitted by a star per unit time.
A. I and II B. I and IV
C. I and III D. I, II, III and IV

12.Analyze which among the stars blow themselves apart at the end of their life
and become so bright for a second?
A. Rigel B. Supernova
C. Cepheid D. Alpha Centauri

13.How would you relate the inverse-square relationship between a star’s

brightness and distance?
A. The star’s brightness increases proportionally when distance is
doubled.
B. The star’s brightness decreases proportionally when distance is
doubled.
C. The star’s brightness increases proportionally to the square of the
distance.

4 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 D. The star’s brightness decreases proportionally to the square of the
distance.

14.If a certain photon emitted by an object has a rest wavelength of 2x1010km

and a measured wavelength of 3x1010km. What is the speed of the object
relative to the speed of light?
A. 0.2 times the speed of light B. 2 times the speed of light
C. 0.5 times the speed of light D. 5 times the speed of light

15.If a star’s radius is 3 solar (3 times that of the sun) and its temperature is 2
solar, what is its luminosity relative to that of the sun?
A. 36 times that of the luminosity of the sun
B. 108 times that of the luminosity of the sun C. 144 times that of the
luminosity of the sun
D. 100 times that of the luminosity of the sun

How the Speeds and Distances

of Far-off Objects are Estimated

Jumpstart

Activity: Tingnan Mo!

Direction: Prepare the materials needed in the experiment. Follow and perform the
given procedures and answer the following questions below. Write your answer on a
sheet of paper.

Materials: Cellphone, pair of scissors, tape, tape measure or a measuring stick,

poster or picture

5 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
Procedure:
1. Post the poster/picture on the wall.
2. Measure two meters from the wall and stand on that space.
3. Cover your left eye with your left hand and look at the poster/picture on the
wall. Make an observation.
4. In the same manner, cover your right eye with your right hand and look at
the poster/picture on the wall. Make an observation.
5. Take a video doing the experiment, to know what is happening.

Questions:
1. What have you noticed? Is there any difference between the two
observations?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

2. If yes, how did it happen that you have different observations?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Rubric for Scoring the Output

Points Description
Presents all information/ideas clearly, and concisely and in an organized
5
manner.
Presents all information/ideas fairly clear and concise in an organized
4
manner
Presents all information/ideas in a manner that is sometimes unclear
3
and/or has significant organizational problems.
Have significant problems with clarity, concision and organization, making
2
the information or ideas presented difficult for the reader to understand
Provides no information/ideas that can be understood or related to the
1
specific topic.

Discover

The branch of astronomy that deals with the study of motions of celestial bodies
are called Celestial Mechanics. Astronomers studying celestial mechanics usually
estimate the speed and distance of celestial objects. Take note, however, that there
is no single method that can be used to measure the distances of all celestial bodies
that can be seen on earth.

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 How do astronomers measure the distance of heavenly bodies from the Earth?
Also, how are their speeds measured ? The following discussions will concentrate on
several methods to determine the distances of objects in the universe.

Cosmic Distance Ladder

The most common method of measuring distances is the Cosmic Distance Ladder
(see figure 1). The cosmic distance ladder is the chain of overlapping methods by
which astronomers establish a distance scale for objects in the universe, from
nearby planets to the most remote quasars and galaxies. The data obtained in the
first step of the ladder are used in the succeeding steps and so on.

Base of the Ladder

The base of the ladder is a measurement without any assumptions about stars’
characteristics. For example, the measurement of one astronomical unit (AU),
which is the measure of the distance of Earth from the Sun, is considered the base.
One AU is approximately 1.50x 1011m. This value is used in measuring the parallax
of a star.

Figure 1. Cosmic Distance Ladder

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Parallax
Parallax is an apparent change in the position of an object due to a change
in the way it is perceived, depending in the perception of the viewer. It is used in
measuring the distance of the stars that are approximately 300 light years away.

How are these stars’ parallax measured? Usually, astronomers take a picture
of a specific star, in this example, PLEIADES, wait for six months to pass so that
the Earth has moved two AU, and then take a photo of the same star to compare
the change in its position.

The image of the star in the two photos appears to shift slightly due to the
change in the position of how the star was seen. These shifts serve as the angles of
an isosceles triangle formed in the perception of the viewers from the earth.

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 Figure 2. Parallax
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Figure 2.1 Parallax

In Figure 2.1, it forms a parallax angle measured in arc seconds.

Remember that,
1 degree = 1/360 degree of a circle
1 arc second= 1/3600 of a degree

We can establish the relationship between a star’s distance and its parallax angle
as:

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 Distance [d]= 1 [p]
Angle

Usually, this distance is expressed in units of parsec. Parsec (parallax

second) is the distance of a star that has a parallax of two arcseconds. Arcsecond
is the 60th part of one arcminute, and one arcminute is the 60 th part of one degree.
But, a more common unit used to denote distances of celestial objects is the
lightyear. A light-year is defined as a distance light can travel in one year. The
conversion factor is presented below:
One light year = 0.306601 PARSEC, which is equal to 9.461x 1015 m

Example:

Problem 1: Alpha Centauri has a parallax angle, of 0.742 arcsec. What is the
distance between the Earth and Alpha Centauri using the parallax method? What is
asked in the problem is the distance of Earth and Alpha Centauri, and the given is
the parallax angle of the Alpha Centauri.

To compute this problem, we can use the formula:

𝟏
d= , substitute the value of parallax angle as d= = 1.35 parsec
𝒑

Therefore, the distance computed is 1.35 parsec. Now, express this in lightyear,
which is the most common unit in measuring astronomical distance or in meters,
to have a better idea.

First, multiply the computed distance, which is, 1.35 parsec to the conversion
factor.

Thus, 1.35 parsec x

Cancel the unit parsec leaving only the light year.

Hence, 1.35 parsec x = 4.403 light year

To further convert this to meters, multiply it to the conversion factor of

9.461x1015meters

I. Asked? - distance [d]

II. Given? - parallax angle [p]= 0.742 arcsec. III. Working
Formula: d=1/p IV. Solution:
d= = 1.35 parsec
0.

Convert to lightyears and meters:

1 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟
1.35 parsec x𝑜.306601 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑐 = 4.40 3 light year x 9.461x1015meters
light year
9 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 Therefore, the distance between the Earth and the Alpha Centauri is 1.35
parsec or 4.403 light-years or 4.16 x 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟓m.

Spectroscopic Method
For stars whose parallax cannot be measured using the ladder, the spectroscopic
method is used. The spectroscopic method requires that the star’s apparent
brightness and spectrum be first observed. To do this method, we have to consider
for absolute brightness of a star.
Astronomers measure the brightness of the stars thru the process known as
photometry. Based on Physics concepts, brightness and distance have an
inversesquare relationship.
Mathematically it can be expressed as:

Absolute and Apparent Brightness

In the equation, brightness decreases proportionally to the square of the
distance, or when distance is doubled, the brightness of the star is the quarter of
its original.
The standard measure of the brightness of a star in astronomy is the
brightness of a star, which is 10 parsecs away from earth. This brightness is called
absolute brightness, while the actual brightness of the star that we see here on
earth is known as its apparent brightness.

Spectroscopy
How do we measure the distance of the star from us using the measurement of
their brightness?
By looking at their spectral lines under the process known as spectroscopy,
astronomers analyze the spectra of nearby stars whose parallax are known to those
which are not. Astronomers can determine the spectral type of a star’s spectrum by
analyzing its spectral lines and plotting the observations in the Hertzsprung -
Russell diagram.

Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) Diagram

It is a graph that shows a star’s luminosity versus its temperature. It is an
important tool in determining the distance of far-off objects because astronomers
believe that the stars near us are similar to the stars far from earth.

Figure 3. Hertzsprung-Rusell

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 https://www.space.fm/astronomy/starsgalaxies/hrdiagram.html

If the star’s location can be plotted on the HR Diagram, its absolute

brightness can be read off. By determining the absolute brightness of a cluster of
stars and comparing this to other stars with known distance enables astronomers
to roughly estimate thier distance from Earth. The observed cluster is shifted
vertically in the HR diagram until it overlaps with the model stars (stars with
known distance).
The difference in the magnitude that was used to join the two groups is
called distance modulus, which is the difference between apparent and absolute
magnitude (m – M) and is the direct measure of the distance in the formula:

where:
m is the apparent magnitude M is the
absolute magnitude d is the distance to
the object in parsec.

Manipulating this will give the formula for distance:

Example:
A star in a certain constellation was found to have an apparent magnitude of
3.5 with a spectral class of G8. According to the HR Diagram, the star shows an
absolute magnitude of 5.7.
I. Asked: distance [d]
II. Given: Apparent magnitude [m]= 3.5 Absolute magnitude [M]=5.7
III. Working Formula: d= 10 (m-M+5)/5 d= 10 (3.5-5.7+5)/5 d= 100.56 or
d= 3.63 parsecs

Doppler Effect
Doppler Effect (Figure 4) is used by astronomers to estimate the speeds of far-off
objects. It is the shift in the wavelength of the emitted light of an object which is
proportional to the speed with which the object moves. Doppler Effect occurs when
the star emitting light is moving to an observer. But it has significantly helped the
astronomers in identifying the other celestial objects in our solar system.

Figure 4. Doppler Effect

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where:
λ is the measured wavelength λo is
the original or rest wavelength v is
the speed of the object
c is the speed of light

Example:
The measured wavelength of emitted light from a celestial object is 5.05x1010 km,
and the rest wavelength is 5.00 x 1010km. What is the velocity of the celestial object?

I. Asked: Velocity (v)

II. Given : initial wavelength (𝜆0)=5.00x1010km Emitted wavelength
(𝜆)= 5.05x1010km III. Working Formula:
v=c 𝜆 − 𝜆0
10 10
[ 5.05x10 -5.00x10 ]km
𝜆0 = 3 x 108 m/s 5.00x1010km

= 3 x 108 m/s [0.01]

v = 3 x 𝟏𝟎𝟔 m/s

Other Methods to Determine Distances of Objects in the Universe:

1. Distances up tp 13,000,000 light years

Henrietta Swan Leavitt noted Cepheid stars in the HR diagram that brighten and
dim periodically. Aside from measuring the period of brightness, Leavitt also
measured the maximum brightness on Earth and used the HR method to
determine the distance of these stars from Earth. She found out that the brighter
the Cepheid is, the longer its period is.
Cepheid stars are very abundant and bright in the galaxy. If somebody obtains the
distance to a given galaxy, Cepheid variables must be located first. Cepheid
variables have certain periods associated with brightness, and this can be plotted
at a distance of one light-year. It is also important to measure Earth’s brightness.
The brightness at the distance of one light-year is larger than the observed
brightness because its quantity drops like a square of the distance. Based on these
numbers, the distance to the stars can be obtained and work up to 13 million light-
years.

2. Distances up to 1,000,000,000 light years

In order to measure such huge distance (1,000,000,000 light years) supernova can
be used. Supernova is a star that usually blows themselves apart at the end of
their life and become so bright for a period of time.
The distance of supernova to Earth must be known for us to measure the distance.
Then the periodic brightness and dim must be obtained. A specific supernova

12 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
known as type Ia brightens and dims regularly at a distance of 1 lightyear. Once
this is calculated, it is found to be the same for all cases.

3. Distances beyond 1,000,000,000 light years

For every far object, the General Theory of Relativity must be used to measure
distances. Indeed the cosmic ladder distance can be used to estimate the distances
of objects in space and it also allows astronomers to conclude that our universe is
composed of vast collections of galaxies.

Explore

Enrichment Activity 1: “What’s that Word?”

Direction: Arrange the following jumbled letters to form the words related to the
methods of determining the speeds and distances of far-off objects. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

___________________1. L A A P X A R L
___________________2. S T Y L M I N U I O
___________________3. P L E O D P R F F E T C
___________________4. L O S M U U D
___________________5. T O H O P R E Y M T
___________________6. S P E C A R
___________________7. L H I G T A R E Y
___________________8. C C O S I M
___________________9. P S C E R T S O C Y P
___________________10. E C S C A R

Enrichment Activity 2: Tell Me!

Direction: Provide the answers to the following questions. You may use different
materials as a reference for the articulation of your points. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. What is the difference between the parallax technique and the Cepheids
variables technique when determining distance?
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2. What is the reference point when two or more values are being measured?
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

3. How can we know that objects are closer to us or further away in the sky?
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
13 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 4. What is parallax, and how do we use it?
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

5. How many light years away must be a star for the parallax angle to be one
second?
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

6. What do we call the apparent motion of an object when observed from 2

different perspectives?
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Rubric for Scoring the Output

Points Description
Presents all information/ideas clearly, and concisly and in an organized
5
manner.
Presents all information/ideas fairly clear and concise in an organized
4
manner
Presents all information/ideas in a manner that is sometimes unclear
3
and/or has significant organizational problems.
Have significant problems with clarity, concision, and organization
2 making, the information or ideas presented difficult for the reader to
understand
Provides no information/ideas that can be understood or related to the
1
specific topic.

Enrichment Activity 3: Match Me!

Direction: Choose the answer that best matches the definitions below. Write the
letter of your answer on the column entitled “Match”. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

Definition Key Terms Match

1. The measure of the distance from Earth to A. Cosmic ladder
Sun
2. It is the shift in the wavelength of the B. Luminosity
emitted light of an object which is
proportional to the speed with which the
object moves.
3. which is the difference between apparent C. Doppler Effect
and absolute magnitude (m – M)
4. is a succession of methods used by D. Astronomical
astronomers to estimate the distance of far- unit
off objects
5. is the measure of the total energy it emits E. Distance modulus

14 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
per unit of time
6. It is used to measure the distance of stars F. Parallax
that are approximately 300 lightyears away.

Deepen

Performance Task: What Is a Light-Year?

Direction: Answer the following questions below. Show your solutions correctly.
Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Record the distance you walk, at a normal pace, in 10 sec.

A. Trial 1 _____________m
B. Trial 2 _____________m
C. Trial 3 _____________m
2. Average the distances for your trials by adding the values from A, B, and C
and dividing by the number of values, which in this case is 3.
A. Average distance ______________m
3. Calculate the speed (distance over time) of your travel by dividing the time
(10 sec) into the distance traveled (D).
A. Your speed ______________m/sec
4. Calculate the distance traveled in 1 min if you were to keep your speed the
same by multiplying your speed (E) by the number of seconds in a minute
(60 sec/min).
A. Your distance traveled per minute _____________m
5. Calculate the distance traveled in 1 hr if you were to keep your speed the
same by multiplying the distance traveled per minute (F) by the number of
minutes in an hour (60 min/hour).
A. Your distance traveled per hour _______________m
6. Calculate the distance traveled in 1 day if you were to keep your speed the
same by multiplying the distance traveled per hour (G) by the number of
hours in a day (24 hr/day).
A. Your distance traveled per day _______________m
7. Calculate the distance traveled in 1 yr if you were to keep your speed the
same by multiplying the distance traveled per day (H) by the number of days
in a year (365 days/yr).
A. Your distance traveled per year _______________m
8. Calculate how many kilometers you could travel in 1 yr if you were to keep
13 your speed the same by dividing your distance traveled per year (I) by the
number of meters in a kilometer (1,000 m/km).
A. Your distance traveled per year ______________km

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 9. The speed of light is about 300,000,000 m/sec. What is the distance light
travels in 1 sec in meters?
A. _______________m
10.Calculate the distance light travels in 1 min in meters.
A. _______________ m
11.Calculate the distance light travels in 1 hr in meters.
A. ______________ m
12.Calculate the distance light travels in 1 day in meters.
N._______________ m
13.Calculate the distance light travels in 1 yr in meters.
O._______________ m
14.Calculate the distance light travels in 1 yr in kilometers.
P. _______________ km
15.Calculate how much faster light travels compared to your walking speed by
dividing the distance light travels in 1 yr (P) by your distance traveled per
year (J).
Q. ______________ times faster
16.Calculate how many years it would take you to walk a distance of 1
lightyear.
R. ______________ yr
17.Why do you think astronomers use light-years instead of kilometers to
measure distances in the universe?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Rubric for Scoring the Output

Points Description
Presents all information/ideas clearly, and concisly and in an organized
5
manner.
Presents all information/ideas fairly clear and concise in an organized
4
manner
Presents all information/ideas in a manner that is sometimes unclear
3
and/or has significant organizational problems.
Have significant problems with clarity, concision, and organization making,
2
the information or ideas presented difficult for the reader to understand
Provides no information/ideas that can be understood or related to the
1
specific topic.

16 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 How We Know that We Live in
an Expanding Universe

Jumpstart

Activity 1: “The Expanding Universe”

Direction: Prepare the materials needed in the experiment. Follow and perform the
given procedures and answer the following questions below. Write your answer on a
sheet of paper.

Materials: Balloon, Air pump, Permanent marking pen

Procedure:
1. Place as many dots as possible on the surface of a deflated balloon.
2. Inflate the balloon using the air pump.
3. Observe what happens to the dots.

Questions:
1. What did you observe about the dots as the balloon is inflated?
___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. How does this simple activity explain the expanding universe?
___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________ 3.
What do you think is the fate of the universe? Will it continue to expand?

17 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 ___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Rubric for Scoring the Output

Points Requirements
Provides an insightful and detailed explanation/opinion that
5
includes or extends ideas from the text.
Provides some explanation/opinion that includes ideas from the
4
text for support.
Uses text incorrectly or with limited success that includes an
3
inconsistent or confusing explanation.
Demonstrates minimal understanding of the task and provides a
2
vague reference or no use of the text for support.
Demonstrates no understanding of the task and provides an
1
unclear reference or no use of the text for support.

Discover

The Universe as Perceived by Early Scientists

Early scientists believed that the life of the universe is infinite. Physicists today
believe otherwise and say that the Sun will burn out in 4.5 billion years as it
expands into a supernova, which will destroy everything on its path, including the
Earth. Before this present conclusion came about, different scientists have argued
and laid down different theories, concepts, and observations that would disprove
the belief that the universe is infinite.

Some scientists laid different concepts and theories of why the universe is infinite.
These scientists include Heinrich Olbers, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein.
• Heinrich Olbers, a German physician and astronomer, argued that if the
universe is infinite, we should be seeing a night full of stars having no part of
the darkness. But that is not what is observed, which presumed that the
universe is finite.
• Sir Isaac Newton, an English physicist, and mathematician, introduced the
concept of gravity—a force of attraction, and argued that if the universe is
finite, it should be collapsing on itself due to the attractive force between
objects within the universe. This did not happen as well.
• Albert Einstein, a German-born physicist, developed his theory of gravity in
the theory of general relativity. His equations contained a cosmological
constant that canceled the gravitational force of bodies and resulted in a
static universe.

The Expanding Universe

All of the previous ideas about the universe as infinite have been disregarded when
Edwin Hubble, an American Astronomer, studied the Doppler shift measurements

18 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
of the velocities and the distance moved by galaxies. From these, he found out that
the universe is expanding. It was based on observations of the Doppler shift of light
emitted by stars. Earlier lesson on sound discussed how frequency and wavelength
of sound are altered if the source is moving toward the observer, the frequency is
lower, and the wavelength is longer. This phenomenon is known as Doppler Effect.

Figure 1
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The Doppler Effect is evident when you hear the changing pitch of an
ambulance siren as it passes you. When the vehicle approaches, the pitch is higher
than normal because the crests of the sound waves encounter your ear more
frequently. When the vehicle passes and moves away, you hear a drop in pitch
because the crests of the waves hit your ear less frequently.

The Doppler Effect also occurs in light. When a light source approaches,
there is an increase in its measured frequency. An increase in frequency is called
blueshift because the increase is toward the high-frequency or blue end of the
color spectrum. When a light source recedes, a decrease in its frequency called
redshift occurs. A red shift refers to a shift toward the lower-frequency or red end
of the color spectrum of the distant galaxies. For example, stars show redshift in
the light they emit. A measurement of this shift permits calculation of their speeds
of recession. A redshifted light is shown by a rapidly spinning star from the side
turning away from the Earth and blueshifted light from their side turning toward
the Earth. This way, the spin rate of a star can be calculated.

The amount of shift depends on the velocity of the source. For speeds not too
close to the speed of light, the change in wavelength (∆𝜆) is proportional to the
speed of the source away from the observer (v):

Hubble’s Law
In the spectra of stars and galaxies, lines are observed that correspond to lines in
the known spectra of particular atoms. What Hubble found was that the amount of
the shift seemed to be approximately proportional to the distance between galaxies.
This was known as the Hubble’s Law and is shown by the equation:

V= H d where:
v is the recessional velocity
H is the Hubble's constant equal to

19 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 H= =22 km/s per mega light-years of distance

1 light-year (ly)= 1013km

Mpc for mega parses and Mly for mega light years; H is also the value of the
rate of expansion of the universe d is the distance of the distant galaxy from Earth

This equation shows how fast bodies are moving away from earth. Hubble plotted
his findings on a graph and found a linear relationship between v and d and shows
that the further the galaxies are, the faster they are moving away from Earth. This
led him to the idea that the universe is expanding, just like what happens to raisin
bread when it expands, as shown below. The raisins tend to move away from each
other, and the further the raisin, the greater the distance it move.

After the discovery of the expanding universe, which is still happening up to

now, scientists thought that in its beginning, it was smaller and could have started
as a single point, and this point at some time exploded in what is known as the big
bang, which was the beginning of the expanding universe, and is approximately 14
billion years ago.
If all the galaxies surrounding us move away from our galaxy, does it mean we are
the center of the universe? The answer is no. The truth is, we are also moving away
from them. All objects in the universe are moving away from each other at the rate
shown by Hubble’s equation. This means that the universe has no center and is
expanding in all directions.
To how long will the universe expand depends on the measurement of the average
density (w) of matter in the universe and (H) the rate at which the universe is
expanding.

Scientists have formulated three possibilities of how the universe would eventually
end.
1. The open universe that tends to expand without end.
2. The flat universe, which also tends to expand, will eventually slow down its
expansion to zero.
3. The close universe's expansion is limited and is bound to collapse on itself.

One of these three possibilities depends on two quantities w, and H, and these
quantities are being measured as accurate as possible by scientists at present.

Key Points:
• The universe began as a single dot, and exploded 14 billion years ago, and
has been expanding ever since.
• The expanding universe was discovered by Edwin Hubble by studying the
Doppler Effect on the light spectrum of distant galaxies and found out that
these lights were all shifted to the red end of the spectrum.
• Hubble stated that there is a direct relationship between the speed of distant
galaxies and their distance from earth, and this is known as Hubble’s law.
• Based on the equations of the expanding universe, the universe can end as
one of the following: open, flat, or close universe.

20 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 • If the universe is an open universe, it would expand forever.
• If the universe is a flat, it would expand, but the expansion will slow down to
zero.
• If the universe is a close, universe it would expand and collapse into itself.

Explore

Enrichment Activity 1: CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

Direction: Choose the correct answer that best describes the picture that is shown
below. Write your answer on a sheet of paper.

1. Observe the spectrum below. Based on the spectrum, what is the only
conclusion that can be safely drawn regarding the light source that produced
this spectrum?

A. This light source is moving toward the viewer.

B. This light source is moving away from the viewer.
C. This light source must contain at least one element.
D. This spectrum is being produced by several different light sources

2. In which direction are nearly all galaxies moving?

A. Toward each other

B. Away from each other
C. In the direction of Earth
D. Colliding into one another

3. A force that is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate ____.

21 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 A. Dark energy
B. The big bang
C. Planetesimals
D. Solar nebula

4. A theory that the universe formed in a huge expansion is _____.

A. Dark energy
B. The big bang
C. Planetesimals
D. Solar nebula

5. Select a possibility of what will happen to the universe in the future.

A. The universe will explode

B. We don't have any hypothesis.
C. The universe will be destroyed by aliens.
D. The universe may expand forever; therefore galaxies will continue to
get further away from each other.

Enrichment Activity 2: Hubble Redshift Relation

22 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
Direction: Below is a graph that is used by astronomers. Can you figure out what
it represents? Write your answer on a sheet of paper.

Figure 3. https://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/Universe/unistudentact.html
Guide Questions:
1. A. What do the values on the horizontal axis represent?
______________________________________________________________________
B. How might scientists measure this value?
______________________________________________________________________

2. A. What do the values on the vertical axis represent?

_______________________________________________________________________
B. How might scientists measure this value?
_____________________________________________________________________

3. Which do you think is harder to measure?

______________________________________________________________________

4. What are the units of “slope”?

______________________________________________________________________

5. A. What could slope represent?

________________________________________________________________________
B. What about its inverse?
______________________________________________________________________

Rubric for Scoring the Output

Points Description
5 Presents all information/ideas clearly and concisely and in an organized
manner.
4 Presents all information/ideas fairly clear and concise in an organized
manner
3 Presents all information/ideas in a manner that is sometimes unclear
and/or has significant organizational problems.
2 Have significant problems with clarity, concision, and organization making
the information or ideas presented difficult for the reader to understand
1 Provides no information/ideas that can be understood or related to the

23 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 specific topic.

Enrichment Activity 3: 60 Seconds Adventure in Astronomy

Direction: Watch the film clip and tick the elements you see/hear or you see and
hear on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bPLY7orbVY). Write your
answer on a sheet of paper.

See Hear S+H

1. The universe expanding as a result of a big explosion.
2. An expanding balloon.
3. Extrapolation backwards.
4. A super dense, compact ball.
5. Expand and cool.
6. A watering can.
7. Planck satellite.
8. A croissant.
9. Background radiation.
10. A rock concert.

Deepen

Performance Task

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990 and orbited the Earth. Its
position above the atmosphere gives it an amazing view of the universe from where
it sends back spectacular pictures of stars, galaxies, and nebulas.

Direction: Make an infographic collage of stars, galaxies, and nebulas. Place it in a

short brown folder. You may use some of the images taken in the Hubble Gallery at
http://hubblesite.org/gallery.

Rubrics for Scoring the Output

Category 4 3 2 1

n The The The The

infographics infographics infographics infog
raphics
communicate communicate indirectly do
not iently
Presentatio the main idea some of the communicate suffic
municate
and strongly important the idea and com
idea that
promote ideas and hardly any
promote
awareness. slightly promote can
eness.
promote awareness. awar
awareness.

24 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 All of the Most of the The graphics The graphics
graphics used graphics used were made by were not made
Creativity reflect an reflect student the student by the
and exceptional ingenuity in but were student.
Originality degree of their creation. copied
student from the
ingenuity in designs or deas
their creation. i of others.
All graphics Most graphics Some graphics The graphics
Accuracy are accurate are accurate are accurate are neither
and and related to and related to and related to accurate nor
relevance the topic. the topic. the topic. related to the
topic
.
It includes all All required Few required Required
Required required elements are elements are elements are
Element elements as included. included. missing.
well as
additional
information.

Gauge

Direction: Read each item carefully. Write only the letter of the best answer for
each test item. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers.
1. What does Hubble’s law state?
A. It states that the speed of a distant galaxy is directly related to its
distance from earth.
B. It states that the speed of a distant galaxy is inversely related to its
distance from earth.
C. It states that the color of a distant galaxy is directly related to its
distance from earth.
D. It states that the speed of a distant galaxy and its distance from
earth has an inverse square law relationship.

2. The redshift of the spectral lines of distant galaxies made Hubble conclude
that the galaxies were moving away from earth but what made him state that
the universe is expanding?
A. The relationship of the distance of distant galaxies from the earth
and their recessional velocity showed that the further the galaxy, the
faster they move away from earth, meaning the universe is
expanding.
B. The relationship of the distance of distant galaxies from the earth
and their recessional velocity showed that the further the galaxy, the
slower they move away from earth, meaning the universe is
expanding.

25 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 C. The relationship of the Doppler shift of the distant galaxies and their
recessional velocity showed the galaxies with greater redshift in their
spectral lines the faster they move away from earth, meaning the
universe is expanding.
D. The relationship of the Doppler shift of the distant galaxies and their
recessional velocity showed that the galaxies with greater redshift in
their spectral lines the slower they move away from earth, meaning
the universe is expanding.

3. Hubble based, on his observations, stated that the universe is expanding.

What were his bases for saying this?
A. Distance of galaxies from earth
B. Doppler shift of distant galaxies
C. Recessional velocities of distant galaxies
D. Color of the stars in the distant galaxies

4. What two quantities define the end of the expanding universe?

A. The distance of galaxies from the earth and the rate of how fast they
move away from earth.
B. The velocities of the galaxies and the average density of matter
contained by the universe.
C. The average density of matter contained by the universe and the rate
at which the universes expand.
D. The average density of the matter contained by the universe and the
distances of the galaxies from the earth.
5. What do you mean when we say that the universe is expanding? A. Average
distances are increasing between galaxies.
B. Everything in the universe is gradually growing in size.
C. Average distances are increasing between star systems within
galaxies.
D. The statement is not meant to be literal, rather it means that our
knowledge of the universe is growing.

6. Based on observations of the universal expansion, the age of the universe is

about _______.
A. 14,000 years
B. 14 million years
C. 14 billion years
D. 14 trillion years

7. Astronomers infer that the universe is expanding because distant galaxies all
appear to be what?
A. Rotate rapidly
B. Be growing in size
C. Be made mostly of dark matter
D. Be moving away from us, with more distant ones moving faster

8. Which of the following statements regarding the center of the universe is

correct?

26 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 A. The universe has no center for its boundaries are beyond reach to be
measured.
B. Andromeda galaxy is the center of the universe for everything in the
universe is moving away from it.
C. The universe has no center, and everything in it is moving away from
each other in all directions.
D. Milky Way is the center of the universe, for Hubble observed that
everything in the universe is moving away from it.

9. Which statement about motion in the universe is NOT true?

A. The mysterious dark matter is the fastest-moving material in the
universe
B. Except for few nearby galaxies, all other galaxies are moving away
from us.
C. Some stars in the Milky Way Galaxy are moving toward us, and
others are moving away from us.
D. Your speed of rotation around Earth’s axis is faster if you live near
the equator than if you live in the North Pole.

10.By studying distant galaxies in the 1920s, Hubble made which of the
following important discoveries that led us to conclude that the universe is
expanding?
A. All galaxies outside the Local Group are orbiting the local group
B. All galaxies contain a billion stars, and all galaxies have spiral
shapes.
C. All galaxies were born at the same time and will die at the same time.
D. All galaxies outside the Local Group are moving away from us, and
the farther away they are, the faster they’re going.

11.If two galaxies A and B move at the same speed away from earth, what can
you say about their distance from earth?
A. Galaxy A is further from earth than Galaxy B. B. Galaxy B is further
from earth than Galaxy A.
C. Galaxy A is twice as far from earth as Galaxy B.
D. Galaxies A and B are of the same distance from earth.

12.According to Hubble’s law, at what rate is the universe expanding?

I. 20 km/s/Mly
II. 20 km/s/Mpc
III. 70 km/s/Mly
IV. 70 km/s/Mpc
A. I and II
B. III and IV
C. I and IV
D. II and III

13.How can Hubble’s equation explain that the universe is expanding?

A. Hubble’s equation shows the recessional velocities of galaxies, and
when these are plotted relative to their distance from earth, the
graph will show a linear relationship that means the further the

27 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 galaxy, the faster it moves away from earth, which means the
universe is expanding.
B. Hubble’s equation shows the recessional velocities of galaxies, and
when these are plotted relative to their distance from earth, the
graph will show a quadratic relationship that means the further the
galaxy, the faster it moves away from earth, which means the
universe is expanding.
C. Hubble’s equation shows the recessional velocities of galaxies, and
when these are plotted relative to their redshift, the graph will show a
linear relationship that means the further the galaxy, the greater is
its redshift which means the universe is expanding.
D. Hubble’s equation shows the recessional velocities of galaxies, and
when these are plotted relative to their redshift, the graph will show a
linear relationship that means the further the galaxy, the lesser is its
redshift which means the universe is expanding.

14.Two galaxies A, and B, are being observed from the earth. If galaxy A is twice
as far from the earth as galaxy B, how can you describe the speed of galaxy
A to the speed of galaxy B as they move away from the earth?
A. Galaxy A has a speed that is halved of the speed of galaxy B.
B. Galaxy A has a speed that is three times of the speed of galaxy B.
C. Galaxy A has a speed that is four times of the speed of galaxy B.
D. Galaxy A has a speed that is twice of the speed of galaxy B.

15.Following Hubble’s law, what can be inferred about the distance of a certain
celestial body X if it moves thrice as fast as celestial Galaxy Y, which is 5
Mpc away from the earth?
A. Celestial body X is 5 Mpc away from earth.
B. Celestial body X is 10 Mpc away from earth. C. Celestial body X is 15
Mpc away from earth.
D. Celestial body X is 20 Mpc away from earth.

Answer Key

Lesson 1: How the Speeds and Distances of Far-off Objects are Estimated

28 LU_Physical Science_Module 16
 LU_Physical Science_Module 16 29
Enrichment Activity 3: 6 0 Enrichment Activity 1:
Seconds Challenge Yourself
See Hear S+H 1. A
1. / 2. B
2. / 3. A Activity: The
3. / 4. A Expanding
4. / 5. B Universe
5. / 1 . The dots
Enrichment Activity 2: Hubble expanded
6. /
Shift Relation
7. / 2 . The energy
1. A. distance from our galaxy, inside the inflated
8. / the Milky Way, to other galaxies balloon
9. / 2 . A. recessional velo city
10. / somewhat related
3 . the distance of the galaxy to the energy in
4 . kilometers per second per space which
megaparsec causes th e
Gauge
5 . A. Hubble Constant expanding
1 .D 6 . C 11 .D
B. The inverse of the Hubble universe.
2 .A 7 . D 12 .C
Constant then has the 3 . Yes. The
3 .A 8 . C 13 .A
dimension of time, and can be
4 .A 9 . A 14 .D universe will
taken as an estimate of the age
5 . A 10 . D15 .C continue to
of the Universe.
expand.
Lesson 2: How We Know that We Live in an Expanding Universe
Enrich ment activity 2 – Jumpstart Pretest
Tell Me! 1. C
*Answers may vary Activity 1: Tignan Mo! 2. C
*Answers may vary 3. B
Enrichment Activity 3 – 4. A
Match Me! Enrichment Activity 1 5. C
1. D 1. Parallax 6. C
2. C 2. Luminosity 7. B
3. E 3. Doppler Effect 8. D
4. A 4. Mo dulus 9. A
5. B 5. Photometry 10. D
6. F 6. Parsec 11. D
7. Light Year 12. C
Performance Task 8. Cosmic 13. A
*Answers may vary 9. Spectroscopy 14. D
10. Arsec 15. C