Diameter in AU of a black hole with given mass?

In summary, the conversation discusses a black hole in the Galaxy with a mass of 3 x 10^6 M☉ and attempts to find its diameter in AU. The attempt at a solution involves using the diameter of the sun and the mass of the black hole, but the specific relation between mass and diameter is not known. The suggestion is made to check the textbook or the Wikipedia article on black holes for this information.
  • #1
PMelol22
3
0

Homework Statement


The Galaxy has a black hole with about 3 x 10^6 M☉. What is its diameter in AU?

Homework Equations


Not sure.

The Attempt at a Solution


3,000,000 solar mass, but not sure how to figure out the diameter in AU. Let's see...diameter of the sun is 1,000,000km

3,000,000 x 1,000,000 = 3 x 10^12 km...one AU is 150 million km...1.5 x 10^8
3x10^12km/1.5x10^8 = 2x10^4 AU??
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
PMelol22 said:

Homework Statement


The Galaxy has a black hole with about 3 x 10^6 M☉. What is its diameter in AU?

Homework Equations


Not sure.

The Attempt at a Solution


3,000,000 solar mass, but not sure how to figure out the diameter in AU. Let's see...diameter of the sun is 1,000,000km

3,000,000 x 1,000,000 = 3 x 10^12 km...one AU is 150 million km...1.5 x 10^8
3x10^12km/1.5x10^8 = 2x10^4 AU??

Welcome to the PF.

What does your textbook say the relation is between the mass of the BH and its diameter?

Alternately, you can look through the wikipedia article to find that relation... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole

:smile:
 
  • #3
I don't see it...
 
  • #4
Is this question about finding the Schwarzschild radius?
 

Related to Diameter in AU of a black hole with given mass?

1. What is the relationship between mass and diameter of a black hole?

The diameter of a black hole is directly proportional to its mass. As the mass of a black hole increases, its diameter also increases.

2. How is the diameter of a black hole measured in astronomical units (AU)?

The diameter of a black hole is typically measured in terms of its Schwarzschild radius, which is the distance from the center of the black hole to the event horizon. This distance is then converted into AU for easier comparison with other astronomical objects.

3. Can a black hole's diameter change over time?

No, the diameter of a black hole remains constant once it has formed. However, the event horizon may expand or contract depending on the amount of matter falling into the black hole.

4. How does the diameter of a black hole compare to other objects in the universe?

Black holes are incredibly dense and compact, so their diameters are relatively small compared to other astronomical objects with similar masses. For example, a black hole with the mass of the sun would have a diameter of only about 6 kilometers.

5. Is there a limit to how massive a black hole can be?

There is no known limit to the mass of a black hole. However, the largest known black holes are supermassive black holes found at the center of galaxies, with masses ranging from millions to billions of times the mass of the sun.

Similar threads

  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
25
Views
531
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
5
Views
331
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
36
Views
4K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
809
  • Special and General Relativity
4
Replies
114
Views
6K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
13
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
Back
Top