Difference Between Cosmos and Universe

Cosmos vs Universe
 

Cosmos and universe are two words that are used to identify the system we live within. These two terms are used interchangeably. Even though these two words look like the same, they mean two different phenomena. These words are used in fields such as cosmology, astronomy, astrophysics, thermodynamics, chemistry, philosophy, and various other fields. It is vital to have a proper understanding in these words and what they really mean in order to excel in such fields. In this article, we are going to discuss what cosmos and universe are, their definitions, the origins of the words cosmos and universe, their similarities, under what circumstances these words are used, and finally the difference between cosmos and universe.

Universe

Universe is generally defined as “everything that exists”. In this sense, universe is everything from the atoms we are made of to the galaxies and even intergalactic space. The energy is also a part of the universe. The term “universe” originated from the Latin word “Univorsum”. Un means uni, which is a phrase used to define “one”. “Versum” means something that rotates or rolls or changes. The Latin word was then adapted by the French as Univers which was then translated to Universe. In modern days Universe is also known as the cosmos, the nature and even the world. Recently the concept of multiverses appeared. Multiverses are other universes that have different properties than the universe we live in. Fundamental constants such as the universal gravitational constant, the plank constant and even the speed of light are different in such places. The concept of parallel universes is also present in recent scientific theories. The term “universe” is used in thermodynamics to identify the collection of the system observed and the surroundings. In this sense, the universe is sometimes a relative to the subject being discussed. In modern science, the universe is considered to be infinite, but the observable universe is finite.

Cosmos

Cosmos is a phrase that is used to identify the universe. But cosmos is also used in other senses too. The proper meaning of cosmos is something that is ordered. The word “cosmos” is derived from the Greek word κόσμος, which means “order” or “ornament”. The opposite of the term cosmos is chaos, which means disorder and imperfectness. The older theory of the universe was that it was a system, which is ordered and perfect, but later observations and new theories showed that the universe is indeed very chaotic. These ideas mainly came through quantum mechanics and statistical physics. Even though the universe is not an ordered system the term “cosmos” is still used synonymously with the word “universe”. Cosmology is the study of the cosmos.