• Question: What is the sucktion radius of a black hole

    Asked by Tom||12||Notts to Miranda on 23 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Miranda Jackson

      Miranda Jackson answered on 23 Jun 2015:

      If you are referring to the distance over which the gravitational attraction of the black hole is felt, then it is infinite, because the range of the gravitational force is infinite. However, if you are referring to the radius of the event horizon, which is the distance from the central object from which even light cannot escape, that is the Schwartzschild radius
      r_s = 2GM/c^2

      Therefore the “size” of a black hole is determined only by its mass. As long as all the mass is contained within the Schwartzschild radius, it is a black hole and nothing will escape once it crosses the line.

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