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GCSE Physics · key term
Matter that does not emit light but is inferred from its gravitational effects; its nature is not yet known.
Used by AQA
Paper 2
Revise: Red-shiftDark matter and dark energy name two different puzzles, not two things that have been fully identified. Dark matter is inferred from gravitational effects: for example, there appears to be more gravity holding galaxies together than visible matter alone can explain. It does not emit light, and scientists do not yet know what it is.
Do not confuse dark matter, inferred partly from its gravitational effects, with dark energy, proposed to account for accelerating expansion.
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