Key Difference – Universe vs World
Universe and world are two words that we sometimes use interchangeably. However, these two words cannot be used interchangeably on most occasions since they refer to two different things. World generally refers to the Earth, together with all people and countries. Universe refers to solar systems, planets, moons, stars, galaxies and the contents of intergalactic space, all matter and energy considered as a whole. This is the key difference between universe and world. Thus, the world is a part of the universe.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is World
3. What is Universe
4. Side by Side Comparison – Universe vs World
5. Summary
What is World?
The term world refers to the entire planet Earth and all life on it. All elements of the planet such as people, animals, trees, geographical features, human civilizations, and countries are included in this concept.
However, the term world can also have different meanings in different contexts. In cosmology, world can refer to any planet such as Mars, Saturn, Jupiter or Earth. In philosophy, world can refer to everything that makes up of the physical universe. World can also refer to the society at large. It is important to understand the different applications of this word in order to understand the exact meaning conveyed by it. Given below are some common phrases where the term world is used.
World Population – The sum of human population at a given time
World War – War involving many large nations in different parts of the world.
World History – The spanning the major geopolitical developments from the first civilizations to the present
End of the World – The end of human history
Figure 1: World
What is Universe?
The universe is all space, time, matter, and energy. Universe includes solar systems, planets, moons, stars, galaxies and the contents of intergalactic space. Our world, planet Earth, is also a part of the universe. Although the world seems very big to us, it has very small dimensions compared to the entire universe. The size of the universe is unknown.
The universe contains organized structures of different proportions. Galaxies are made up stars and planets and their constitutions. Some of these galaxies have billions of stars, and the universe has millions of galaxies. Our solar system is located in the Milky Way galaxy and is very small compared to these galaxies. Most of the matter in the universe exist in an unknown form called dark matter.
Figure 2: Universe
What is the difference between Universe and World?
Universe vs World |
|
| Universe is all existing matter and space considered as a whole. | World refers to the Earth, together with all people and countries. |
| Relationship Between Universe and World | |
| Universe consists of solar systems, planets, moons, stars, galaxies and intergalatical space. | The world (planet Earth) is a part of the universe. |
| Size | |
| The size of the universe is unknown. | The radius of the world (Earth) is 6,371 km. |
Summary – Universe vs World
World typically refers to planet Earth, including all its people, countries and other life forms. The universe is the solar systems, planets, moons, stars, galaxies and the contents of intergalatical space, all matter and energy considered as a whole. Thus, the world is a part of the universe. This is the difference between universe and world.
Reference:
1. “Structure in the Universe.” COSMOS. California Institute of Technology, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.
2. Villanueva , John Carl. “Structure of the Universe.” Universe Today. N.p., 24 Dec. 2015. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.
Image Courtesy: Pixabay