About this Study Set
This study set covers Cosmology through
20 practice questions.
A collection of factual questions regarding the dates, figures, and constants of cosmology. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 20 questions from the
Cosmology Fundamentals study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
In what year did Edwin Hubble publish his discovery that the universe is expanding?
-
A
1929
-
B
1945
-
C
1915
-
D
1950
2
Approximately how many years ago did the Big Bang occur?
-
A
1.5 billion
-
B
6.8 billion
-
C
13.8 billion
-
D
25.4 billion
3
What is the approximate percentage of dark energy in the composition of the universe?
4
Who proposed the 'Big Bang' theory in 1927?
-
A
Albert Einstein
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B
Georges Lemaître
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C
Stephen Hawking
-
D
Carl Sagan
5
How many degrees Kelvin is the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation?
-
A
0.5 K
-
B
2.7 K
-
C
10.2 K
-
D
100 K
6
In which decade was the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation first discovered?
-
A
1940s
-
B
1960s
-
C
1980s
-
D
2000s
7
How many fundamental forces are there in the standard model of cosmology?
8
What is the approximate age of the Earth?
-
A
4.5 billion years
-
B
10 billion years
-
C
13.8 billion years
-
D
1 billion years
9
The 'Hubble Constant' measures the rate at which the universe is what?
-
A
Shrinking
-
B
Rotating
-
C
Expanding
-
D
Cooling
10
Which spacecraft was launched in 2001 to map the Cosmic Microwave Background?
-
A
Voyager 1
-
B
Hubble
-
C
WMAP
-
D
Kepler
11
What percentage of the universe is composed of ordinary matter (atoms)?
12
How many astronomical units (AU) are in one light-year?
-
A
10,000
-
B
63,000
-
C
1,000,000
-
D
500
13
Which element makes up the vast majority of the universe's baryonic matter?
-
A
Oxygen
-
B
Carbon
-
C
Hydrogen
-
D
Iron
14
In 1998, which observation changed our understanding of the universe's expansion rate?
-
A
Dark energy acceleration
-
B
Black hole formation
-
C
Stellar birth
-
D
Supernova dimming
15
How many spatial dimensions are typically considered in standard general relativity?
16
What is the speed of light in a vacuum in kilometers per second?
-
A
150,000
-
B
300,000
-
C
450,000
-
D
600,000
17
The first direct image of a black hole was captured in which year?
-
A
2015
-
B
2017
-
C
2019
-
D
2021
18
How many years does light take to travel from the Sun to the Earth?
-
A
8 minutes
-
B
1 hour
-
C
1 day
-
D
1 week
19
What was the name of the first satellite launched into orbit in 1957?
-
A
Explorer 1
-
B
Sputnik 1
-
C
Vostok 1
-
D
Apollo 1
20
Approximately how many galaxies are estimated to be in the observable universe?
-
A
100 billion
-
B
500 million
-
C
10 trillion
-
D
1 billion
