Which event triggers the start of black hole formation?(1 point)
Responses
a. Radiation emitted by a massive star increases.
b. The gravitational forces acting on a massive star decline rapidly.
c. A supernova blows a massive star apart.
d. A massive star depletes its stores of hydrogen and helium.
c. A supernova blows a massive star apart.
c. A supernova blows a massive star apart.
The correct answer is option c. A supernova blows a massive star apart, triggering the start of black hole formation.
To determine the correct answer, we need to have an understanding of the process of black hole formation.
Black holes are formed from the remnants of massive stars. When a massive star reaches the end of its life, it undergoes a supernova explosion. This explosion is triggered when the star's nuclear fuel is depleted, causing the core to collapse under its own gravity. The collapse creates an immense shockwave, and the outer layers of the star are violently expelled into space.
After the supernova explosion, what remains is a dense core known as a stellar remnant. If the mass of this remnant is above a certain threshold called the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit (which is around 3 times the mass of our Sun), then the remnant continues to collapse under its own gravity. This collapse becomes so extreme that it forms a singularity, a point of infinite density at the center, surrounded by an event horizon from which no light can escape, defining the boundary of a black hole.
Therefore, the correct answer is that the event triggering the start of black hole formation is a supernova explosion (option c).