In your opinion, what might be the future of the universe: open, flat or closed? Explain your answer with suitable arguments.

Question

Accepted Answer

This is an open scientific question, since scientists have not yet been able to precisely measure the actual average density of the universe compared to the critical density. A student may reasonably argue for any of the three possibilities as long as the reasoning is correct: for example, if current observations suggest the average density is lower than the critical density, this would support an open universe that keeps expanding forever; if future measurements show the densities to be equal, a flat universe would be more likely; and if the density is found to be greater than the critical density, a closed universe ending in a Big Crunch would be supported. The key point for SEE is to correctly connect your chosen answer to the relationship between average density and critical density.