Can an infinite amount of dark or vacuum or gravitational energy be created with expansion?
The concept of creating an infinite amount of dark, vacuum, or gravitational energy through the expansion of the universe is complex and involves several theoretical considerations:
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Dark Energy and Expansion: Dark energy is thought to be responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. It is a form of energy that permeates all of space and is believed to make up about 68% to 72% of the universe's total energy density13. The expansion of the universe does not directly "create" dark energy in the sense of generating it from nothing; rather, the density of dark energy remains relatively constant as the universe expands1.
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Vacuum Energy: Vacuum energy, often associated with dark energy, arises from the quantum fluctuations in empty space. However, the theoretical predictions for vacuum energy density are far higher than observed values, leading to the cosmological constant problem1. The expansion of space does not directly increase the amount of vacuum energy per unit volume; instead, it spreads it out over a larger volume.
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Gravitational Energy: Gravitational energy is not typically considered in the same context as dark or vacuum energy when discussing the universe's expansion. However, gravitational potential energy can change as the universe expands, but this is not about creating new energy; it's more about redistributing it.
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Infinite Energy Creation: The idea of creating an infinite amount of energy through expansion is not supported by current theories. If the universe is infinite, then the total amount of energy could be infinite, but this does not imply that new energy is being created in the sense of violating conservation laws2. The expansion itself does not generate energy from nothing; it redistributes existing energy over a larger volume.
In summary, while the expansion of the universe does involve changes in how energy is distributed, it does not create an infinite amount of new energy in the sense of violating energy conservation principles. The concept of infinite energy would more relate to whether the universe itself is infinite rather than the process of expansion generating new energy.