Einstein introduced a "cosmological constant" into his formulation of the structure of the universe as described by his general theory of relativity.How did he envision that this cosmological constant would manifest itself?
A) as many "white holes" that would contribute matter to an expanding universe to maintain constant density, as required by the cosmological principle-a continuous creation universe
B) as an extra "gravity" that would hold the universe against continuous expansion
C) as antimatter that, by annihilating real matter, would translate matter into energy, thereby maintaining a constant mass density in a condensing universe
D) as a form of energy that, on its own, would make the universe expand-a form of antigravity

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Einstein envisioned the cosmological constant as a form of energy that would cause the universe to expand, essentially acting as a form of antigravity. He introduced it to balance out the effects of gravity on the universe's structure, believing that the universe was static and needed a repulsive force to counteract gravity. However, later observations showed that the universe was actually expanding, and the cosmological constant was less necessary. In modern cosmology, the cosmological constant is one possible explanation for the observed acceleration of the universe's expansion.

Einstein Introduced a "Cosmological Constant" into His Formulation of the Structure