Ultimate fate of the universe

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/ultimate-fate-of-the-universe

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?The energy density associated with empty space, a candidate for dark energy
2. What is the hubble constant?Measures the rate at which the universe is expanding
3. What is the Big Freeze and why will it happen?The Big Freeze means the universe will keep expanding and cooling until stars run out of fuel, leaving a cold, quiet space where nothing can happen.
4. How does dark energy affect the universe's future?Dark energy pushes space to grow faster. If it stays the same, the universe will keep expanding forever; if it grows stronger, it could tear everything apart.

Dark Energy: A hypothetical form of energy that permeates all of space and accelerates cosmic expansion.
Entropy: A measure of disorder or randomness in a system, which tends to increase over time.
Redshift: The stretching of light waves from objects moving away from an observer, indicating cosmic expansion.