Ultra-small to Ultra-large scales
School Name
South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics
Grade Level
12th Grade
Presentation Topic
Physics
Presentation Type
Mentored
Abstract
How high and low can the fundamental measures, such as temperature and size, of the universe go? What can we figure out from these measures? While these questions aren’t necessarily new, they are important in understanding the known universe. To answer these questions, scales of size and temperature were created to test the limits of the known universe. By creating these scales, it was easier to point out the uniquity of objects in our universe and how they correlate their size to their known temperature. To conduct this experiment, the lowest and highest sizes/temperatures of the known universe were found and put on separate scales. To interpret these scales and their importance, they were compared between each other to find interesting correlations. For example, Betelgeuse, a star that is much larger than the sun, has a lower surface temperature. Generally, stars that are larger than the sun were said to be hotter, but by doing this research, it is seen that that is not necessarily the case. Betelgeuse is still significantly brighter than the sun, but that is because light is actually correlated with size and temperature! By creating two simple scales, one can find out things about our universe that are not easily determined just by looking around. In conclusion, the limits of size and temperature allow us to figure out properties of our known universe, fulfilling the purpose of this experiment. By using fundamental scales, one can determine the properties of the known universe.
Recommended Citation
Driscoll, Aidan, "Ultra-small to Ultra-large scales" (2022). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 145.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2022/all/145
Location
HSS 209
Start Date
4-2-2022 11:00 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
Ultra-small to Ultra-large scales
HSS 209
How high and low can the fundamental measures, such as temperature and size, of the universe go? What can we figure out from these measures? While these questions aren’t necessarily new, they are important in understanding the known universe. To answer these questions, scales of size and temperature were created to test the limits of the known universe. By creating these scales, it was easier to point out the uniquity of objects in our universe and how they correlate their size to their known temperature. To conduct this experiment, the lowest and highest sizes/temperatures of the known universe were found and put on separate scales. To interpret these scales and their importance, they were compared between each other to find interesting correlations. For example, Betelgeuse, a star that is much larger than the sun, has a lower surface temperature. Generally, stars that are larger than the sun were said to be hotter, but by doing this research, it is seen that that is not necessarily the case. Betelgeuse is still significantly brighter than the sun, but that is because light is actually correlated with size and temperature! By creating two simple scales, one can find out things about our universe that are not easily determined just by looking around. In conclusion, the limits of size and temperature allow us to figure out properties of our known universe, fulfilling the purpose of this experiment. By using fundamental scales, one can determine the properties of the known universe.
