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Universe and global climate
Science understanding — Australian Curriculum v9.0, Year 10 Science.
Achievement focus
Students sequence key events in the origin and evolution of the universe and describe supporting evidence for the Big Bang theory. They describe trends in patterns of global climate change and identify causal factors.
AC9S10U03 — Origin and evolution of the universe
Students learn to: describe how the Big Bang theory models the origin and evolution of the universe and analyse the supporting evidence for the theory.
Core ideas
- The universe expanded from an extremely hot, dense state; space itself expands (not just matter moving through fixed space).
- Supporting evidence includes cosmic microwave background radiation, redshift of distant galaxies (Hubble-type relationships), and abundances of light elements consistent with early-universe physics.
Learning checkpoints
What does redshift suggest about distant galaxies?
Sample answer: Their light is stretched toward longer wavelengths, consistent with those galaxies moving away from us and with expansion of the universe.Why is the cosmic microwave background important?
Sample answer: It is relic radiation from an early hot universe, predicted by Big Bang models and observed uniformly across the sky (with small variations).
AC9S10U04 — Global climate change
Students learn to: use models of energy flow between the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere to explain patterns of global climate change.
Core ideas
- Earth’s climate depends on incoming solar radiation, reflection (albedo), greenhouse gases that trap outgoing infrared radiation, and ocean and atmospheric circulation.
- Human activities (e.g. fossil fuel use, land-use change) alter greenhouse gas concentrations and can shift long-term trends; distinguishing natural variability from forced change uses multiple lines of evidence and models.
Learning checkpoints
Name two spheres and one way energy moves between them.
Sample answer: Atmosphere and ocean—solar heating drives evaporation from the hydrosphere and energy transfer via winds and currents.Why are ice sheets relevant to climate feedbacks?
Sample answer: Ice reflects more sunlight than darker ocean or land; melting reduces albedo and can accelerate warming (a positive feedback).