Relate dark matter to the development of the universe after the Big Bang. In 3-5 sentences, speculate on how the development of the universe would have been different if there had been no dark matter. In your answer, use the term structures.(4 points)

Answer 1

Dark matter played a crucial role in the development of the universe after the Big Bang by providing the necessary gravitational framework for the formation of large-scale structures like galaxies and galaxy clusters. Without dark matter, the visible matter alone would not have been sufficient to clump together under gravity, leading to a vastly different cosmic landscape. In such a scenario, structures such as galaxies might not have formed at all, resulting in a universe dominated by diffuse gas and dark voids rather than the rich tapestry of stars and galaxies we observe today. The absence of dark matter would have profoundly altered the evolution of the universe, likely preventing the complex structures that enable the existence of planets and, consequently, life as we know it.