Questions About Event Horizon, Singularity & Schwarzchild Radius

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concepts of event horizon, singularity, and Schwarzschild radius in the context of black holes. Participants seek clarification on these terms and their interrelations as they pertain to general relativity and black hole physics.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the Schwarzschild radius is dependent on the mass of an object and defines the threshold for an object to become a black hole.
  • Another participant explains that the event horizon is determined by the Schwarzschild radius and represents the point beyond which no object can escape a black hole's gravitational pull.
  • A further contribution describes the singularity as a point of infinite density where all the mass of a black hole is thought to be concentrated, highlighting the breakdown of quantum theory in such conditions.
  • One participant provides a mathematical expression for the Schwarzschild radius, indicating its relationship to the mass of the black hole.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the definitions and relationships of the terms discussed, but there is an acknowledgment of the uncertainty surrounding the nature of singularities and the breakdown of current theories in extreme conditions.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the complexities involved in the behavior of matter at the singularity or the implications of quantum theory in relation to black holes.

Inquiring_Mike
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A Couple Questions...

I was recently watching a t.v. show and the following terms came up: event horizon, singularity and schwarzchild radius... Can anyone tell me what these things are?
 
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All these terms relate to black holes. The Schwarzschild radius (depends on mass of object) is the radius that an object has to have to become a black hole. That is if the object is bigger, it is not, if smaller, it is.

The event horizon is determined by the Schwarzschild radius and it refers to the point of no return for any object falling into a black hole.

A singularity (in this context) refers to the idea that all the mass of a black hole is concentrated at one point of infinite density - a prediction of general relativity. Since quantum theory breaks down under these circumstances, no one really knows what happens inside a black hole.
 
The event horizon of a black hole is the point of no return, once an object is past this point it can only move towards the singularity.

The Schwarzschild radius is the radius of the sphere around the (Scwarzchild) black hole whose surface forms the event horizon and is given by the simple equation:

[tex]r_S = \frac{2GM}{c^2}[/tex]

Ther singularity is the infinitely dense point at the centre of a black hole which matter is pulled to.
 
Interesting... Thanks...It all makes sense now...
 

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