Cosmological constant

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cosmological-constant

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the cosmological constant?It is a term Einstein added to his equations that acts like a repulsive force, keeping the universe from collapsing or expanding too fast.
2. Why did Einstein call it his biggest blunder?Because he added it to keep the universe static, but later we learned the universe is expanding, so the term was unnecessary.

General Relativity: Einstein's theory that describes gravity as the geometric curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy.
Cosmological Principle: The assumption that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales.
Vacuum Energy: The energy that exists in space even in the absence of matter and radiation, arising from quantum fluctuations.
ΛCDM Model: The standard model of cosmology, which includes a cosmological constant (Λ) and cold dark matter (CDM).