- #1
JohnnyGui
- 796
- 51
Hello all,
I could be looking at this the wrong way but here it goes:
From what I understand, if a star collapses into itself to form a neutron star, it would become more compact, denser and heavier with a larger gravitational attraction.
Now, if I understand correctly, the size of gravitational attraction depends on the total amount of mass that a star has.
If a star collapses into itself to form a neutron star, it will still have the same total amount of mass (let's assume that the star doesn't shed off any of its outer layers before collapsing) but in a more denser and smaller volume.
However, if it still has the same total amount of mass, shouldn't a neutron star have the same gravitational attraction as before the star collapsed? I know that the mass has become denser, but the volume also shrinked into a smaller size which "compensates" for the increase in density and thus keep the total amount of mass constant. How then can it be that a neutron star has a larger gravitational attraction than before?
I have read explanations about one being closer to the center of the star if it turns into a neutron star and thus experience a larger gravitational attraction, but I'd still think that my argument stands:
If one is standing on a star before collapsing, he will have the same amount of total amount of mass beneath him as when he's standing on the star's neutron version; it is denser but it's also smaller in volume.
Am I missing something here?
I could be looking at this the wrong way but here it goes:
From what I understand, if a star collapses into itself to form a neutron star, it would become more compact, denser and heavier with a larger gravitational attraction.
Now, if I understand correctly, the size of gravitational attraction depends on the total amount of mass that a star has.
If a star collapses into itself to form a neutron star, it will still have the same total amount of mass (let's assume that the star doesn't shed off any of its outer layers before collapsing) but in a more denser and smaller volume.
However, if it still has the same total amount of mass, shouldn't a neutron star have the same gravitational attraction as before the star collapsed? I know that the mass has become denser, but the volume also shrinked into a smaller size which "compensates" for the increase in density and thus keep the total amount of mass constant. How then can it be that a neutron star has a larger gravitational attraction than before?
I have read explanations about one being closer to the center of the star if it turns into a neutron star and thus experience a larger gravitational attraction, but I'd still think that my argument stands:
If one is standing on a star before collapsing, he will have the same amount of total amount of mass beneath him as when he's standing on the star's neutron version; it is denser but it's also smaller in volume.
Am I missing something here?