Calculating Schwarzschild Radius at Galaxy's Core

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The discussion centers on calculating the Schwarzschild radius for a massive object at the Milky Way's core, believed to be a black hole. The formula used is R_S = [2Gm]/c^2, with given constants for mass, gravitational constant, and the speed of light. The initial calculations yielded incorrect results, including 1.89 x 10^19 m and 1.90 x 10^19 m. A participant identified a mistake in the calculation, noting that the division was performed by c instead of c^2. This highlights the importance of careful application of formulas in astrophysical calculations.
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Homework Statement



Astronomers have observed a small, massive object at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. A ring of material orbits this massive object; the ring has a diameter of about 15 light years and an orbital speed of about 200 km/s. Take the distance of one light year to be 9.461 X 10^15 m. Mass of object = 4.26 X 10^37 kg. Speed of light (c) = 3 X 10^8 m/s. G = 6.67 x 10^(-11).

Many astronomers believe that the massive object at the center of the Milky Way galaxy is a black hole. If so, what is its Schwarzschild radius R_S?

Homework Equations



From Wikipedia, I got the equation for the Schwarzschild radius to be R_S = [2Gm]/c^2.

The Attempt at a Solution



Using the above equation and the above constants, I got 1.89 x 10^19 m, which is wrong.

Other wrong answers: 1.90×10^19 and 1.89x10^35.

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!
 
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Well it looks like you divided by c instead of c^2.
 
Doh! Thanks so much.
 
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