When the Escape Speed from the Surface of a Spherical

question 78

Multiple Choice

When the escape speed from the surface of a spherical object of mass M and radius R is equal to the speed of light, that radius is called the Schwarzschild radius for the given mass. What is the Schwarzschild radius of the Sun, whose mass is 2.0 × 10³⁰ kg? (i.e., if all the Sun's mass were compressed into a sphere of this radius, the escape speed from its surface would be the speed of light-it would become a black hole!)

• A) 4.5 km
• B) 1.5 km
• C) 5.9 km
• D) 3.0 km

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