Question 2 of 21

Philosopher Christian Wolff is credited with coining the use of the term "cosmology" in a text he wrote during what year?

... Wolff's 1730 work "Cosmologia" represents the first written use of the term "cosmology."

Question 3 of 21

Which of these terms refers to the period of time before the Big Bang?

... Planck Era describes the incredibly brief period of time before the universe was formed.

Question 4 of 21

Whose Theory of Relativity formed the basis for the Big Bang theory?

... Einstein's Theory of Relativity defines gravity in terms of space and time, and remains a crucial part of man's understanding about the universe.

Question 5 of 21

What term describes a never-ending series of Big Bangs followed by Big Crunches?

... An oscillating universe is defined as a universe that continuously ends, then reforms.

Question 6 of 21

Which of these terms describes the study of how the universe was formed?

... Cosmogony is a branch of cosmology that focuses on the formation of the universe.

Question 7 of 21

According to NASA, how long ago did the Big Bang take place?

... As of 2011, scientists estimate that the universe is just shy of 14 billion years old.

Question 8 of 21

What do cosmologists call the limits of the known universe?

... The horizon marks the borders of the known universe.

Question 9 of 21

Which of these terms describes the study of how the universe could end?

... Eschatology focuses on the future and fate of the universe.

Question 10 of 21

Which of these theories describes the way in which radiation and heat energy are distributed throughout the universe?

... The cosmological principal states that heat energy and radiation are surprisingly uniform in the way they are distributed throughout the universe.

Question 11 of 21

Which of these materials serves as the primary building block for planets, stars and people?

... Baryonic matter consists of protons, neutrons and electrons, and serves as the building block for every object in the universe.

Question 12 of 21

What term is used to describe a scenario where time is equal to zero and density is infinite?

... Singularity occurs only at the very start of the universe, or within a black hole.

Question 13 of 21

What quality do scientists believe will determine the fate of the universe?

... The density of the universe will determine whether it continues to expand or eventually collapses, freezes or otherwise ends.

Question 14 of 21

How much of the total matter in the universe is normal, or baryonic, matter?

... Just 5 percent of matter is baryonic. The rest is dark matter or dark energy.

Question 15 of 21

What term describes a mysterious antigravity that causes the universe to expand at an increasing rate?

... Dark energy acts as antigravity, forcing the universe to expand more rapidly.

Question 16 of 21

What type of matter makes up 20 percent of all matter in the universe?

... Though dark matter is largely hypothetical, scientists at NASA estimate that it makes up about 20 percent of the universe.

Question 17 of 21

Cosmology satellites measure what phenomenon to gather evidence to support the Big Bang theory?

... Radiation allows scientists to trace the history and origins of the universe.

Question 18 of 21

How long did it take for the first stars and galaxies to form after the Big Bang?

... It took about a billion years for the temperature of the universe to cool down enough for stars to form.

Question 19 of 21

Which of these three elements was NOT formed during the Big Bang?

... Hydrogen, helium and lithium were the first three elements formed. It took years for these elements to interact and produce oxygen.

Question 20 of 21

Which of these units do scientists use to measure the rate at which the universe is expanding?

... The Hubble constant measures acceleration in km/sec/megaparsec, with one megaparsec equal to 3.26 million light-years.

Question 21 of 21

What is the shape of the universe, according to Einstein's widely held theories?

... All modern cosmology theories assume that the universe is flat.

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