Which of these statements describes the state of the universe during the inflationary epoch, from approximately 10^-35 s to 10^-33 s after the Big Bang? A) There were only two distinct forces: the strong, weak, and electromagnetic theories were all unified at that time. B) There were only three distinct forces: gravity, strong, and electroweak forces. C) Only quarks existed but they had not yet formed into other elementary particles. D) Elementary particles such as neutrons and protons existed but they had not yet formed nuclei.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

During the inflationary epoch, the universe's forces were distinct except for the electroweak and strong forces, which means gravity was a separate force, and the electroweak force had not yet split into the electromagnetic and weak forces.

Which of These Statements Describes the State of the Universe