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Date May 2018 Marks available 3 Reference code 18M.3.SL.TZ2.12
Level Standard level Paper Paper 3 Time zone 2
Command term Determine Question number 12 Adapted from N/A

Question

Data from distant galaxies are shown on the graph.

M18/4/PHYSI/SP3/ENG/TZ2/12

Estimate, using the data, the age of the universe. Give your answer in seconds.

[3]
a.

Identify the assumption that you made in your answer to (a).

[1]
b.

On the graph, one galaxy is labelled A. Determine the size of the universe, relative to its present size, when light from the galaxy labelled A was emitted.

[3]
c.

Markscheme

use of gradient or any coordinate pair to find H0 «= v d » or 1 H 0  «= d v »

convert Mpc to m and km to m «for example 82 × 10 3 10 6 × 3.26 × 9.46 × 10 15 »

age of universe «= 1 H 0 » = 3.8 × 1017 «s»

 

 

Allow final answers between

3.7 × 1017 and 3.9 × 1017 «s» or 4 × 1017 «s»

[3 marks]

a.

non-accelerated/uniform rate of expansion

OR

H0 constant over time

 

OWTTE

[1 mark]

b.

z « = v c » =  4.6 × 10 4 × 10 3 3.00 × 10 8 = 0.15

R R 0 «z + 1» = 1.15

 

R 0 R « 1 1.15 =» 0.87

OR

87% of the present size

 

[3 marks]

c.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.
[N/A]
b.
[N/A]
c.

Syllabus sections

Option D: Astrophysics » Option D: Astrophysics (Core topics) » D.3 – Cosmology
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Option D: Astrophysics » Option D: Astrophysics (Core topics)
Option D: Astrophysics

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