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With reference to gravitational waves, which of the following statements is/are correct?
All gravitational waves are as old as the Big Bang itself.
  • Gravitational waves travel at the speed of sound and squeeze and stretch anything in their path.
  • The first gravitational wave was detected by LIGO only in 2015.
    Select the correct answer using the code given below.
    • a)
      3 only
    • b)
      1 and 2 only
    • c)
      2 and 3 only
    • d)
      1, 2 and 3
    Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
    Most Upvoted Answer
    With reference to gravitational waves, which of the following stateme...
    Gravitational waves are 'ripples' in space-time caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the Universe.
    They are created when:
    • The strongest gravitational waves are produced by cataclysmic events such as colliding black holes, supernovae (massive stars exploding at the end of their lifetimes), and colliding neutron stars.
    • Other waves are predicted to be caused by the rotation of neutron stars that are not perfect spheres.
    • Some are possibly created even by the Big Bang and are the remnants of gravitational radiation created then. So not all Gravitational waves are as old as Big Bang. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
    • They travel at the speed of light, gravitational waves squeeze and stretch anything in their path. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
    Gravitational waves were proposed by Albert Einstein in his General Theory of Relativity over a century ago. It was only in 2015, however, that the first gravitational wave was actually detected — by LIGO. Since then, there have been a number of subsequent detections of gravitational waves. Hence statement 3 is correct.
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    Community Answer
    With reference to gravitational waves, which of the following stateme...
    The correct answer is option 'A': 3 only.

    Explanation:
    Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects. They were first predicted by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity in 1916. Let's analyze each statement to determine its correctness:

    1) All gravitational waves are as old as the Big Bang itself.
    This statement is incorrect. Gravitational waves were not present immediately after the Big Bang. The Big Bang occurred around 13.8 billion years ago, while the first detection of gravitational waves was made in 2015. Gravitational waves are generated by accelerating masses, such as black holes or neutron stars, and do not exist from the beginning of the universe.

    2) Gravitational waves travel at the speed of sound and squeeze and stretch anything in their path.
    This statement is incorrect. Gravitational waves do not travel at the speed of sound. Instead, they travel at the speed of light, which is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second in a vacuum. Gravitational waves do cause a squeezing and stretching effect, known as gravitational wave strain, as they propagate through space. This strain can be detected and measured by sensitive instruments like the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

    3) The first gravitational wave was detected by LIGO only in 2015.
    This statement is correct. The first direct detection of gravitational waves was made by the LIGO observatory on September 14, 2015. LIGO detected the gravitational waves produced by the merger of two black holes, which occurred around 1.3 billion years ago. This groundbreaking discovery confirmed the existence of gravitational waves and opened up a new window for observing the universe.

    In conclusion, only statement 3 is correct. Gravitational waves are not as old as the Big Bang, they do not travel at the speed of sound, and the first direct detection was made by LIGO in 2015.
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    With reference to gravitational waves, which of the following statements is/are correct? All gravitational waves are as old as the Big Bang itself. Gravitational waves travel at the speed of sound and squeeze and stretch anything in their path. The first gravitational wave was detected by LIGO only in 2015. Select the correct answer using the code given below.a)3 onlyb)1 and 2 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
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    With reference to gravitational waves, which of the following statements is/are correct? All gravitational waves are as old as the Big Bang itself. Gravitational waves travel at the speed of sound and squeeze and stretch anything in their path. The first gravitational wave was detected by LIGO only in 2015. Select the correct answer using the code given below.a)3 onlyb)1 and 2 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? for UPSC 2024 is part of UPSC preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the UPSC exam syllabus. Information about With reference to gravitational waves, which of the following statements is/are correct? All gravitational waves are as old as the Big Bang itself. Gravitational waves travel at the speed of sound and squeeze and stretch anything in their path. The first gravitational wave was detected by LIGO only in 2015. Select the correct answer using the code given below.a)3 onlyb)1 and 2 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for UPSC 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for With reference to gravitational waves, which of the following statements is/are correct? All gravitational waves are as old as the Big Bang itself. Gravitational waves travel at the speed of sound and squeeze and stretch anything in their path. The first gravitational wave was detected by LIGO only in 2015. Select the correct answer using the code given below.a)3 onlyb)1 and 2 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?.
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