Mass of Black Holes: Measuring the Unmeasurable?

AI Thread Summary
Measuring the mass of a black hole can be achieved through various methods, primarily by observing the gravitational effects on nearby objects. One effective technique involves placing a test mass, such as a 1 kg lump of metal, into orbit around the black hole and analyzing its orbital behavior. Additionally, the mass can be estimated by monitoring the speeds of stars orbiting the black hole. These methods leverage the principle that a black hole's gravitational influence mimics that of any other object with the same mass. Understanding these measurement techniques is crucial for studying black holes and their properties.
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Sorry if this is in the wrong topic area but I'm really wondering this. Would there be any way to measure the mass of a black hole? This is a really interesting thing that I would like to know about. Thanks to anyone that helps!:smile:
 
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Welcome to PF!

There are many ways to measure the mass, and some are deceptively simple.

A black hole of a given mass behaves gravitationally just like any other kind of object with the same mass.

All you need is to do is put a test mass -- say, 1 kg lump of metal -- into orbit around the hole. By observing the lump's orbit, you can calculate the black hole's mass.

You can also use what Nature gives you: stars. By watching the speeds at which stars orbit a suspected black hole, we can estimate the mass of that black hole.

- Warren
 
Thank you vey much for that. I've been looking everywhere and now I finally know and I can ace my report! Thanks!:smile: :smile:
 

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