Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, bool given in /var/www/html/web/app/themes/studypress-core-theme/template-parts/header/mobile-offcanvas.php on line 20

Surviving the Plunge. The tidal forces near a black hole with a mass similar to a star would tear a person apart before that person could fall through the event horizon. Black hole researchers have pointed out that a fanciful "black hole life preserver" could help counteract those tidal forces. The life preserver would need to have a mass similar to that of an asteroid and would need to be shaped like a flattened hoop placed around the person's waist. In what direction would the gravitational force from the hoop pull on the person's head? In what direction would it pull on the person's feet? Based on your answers, explain in general terms how the gravitational forces from the "life preserver" would help to counteract the black hole's tidal forces.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The hoop pulls the head down and feet up, counteracting the black hole's stretching tidal forces.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Tidal Forces

Tidal forces near a black hole arise due to the difference in gravitational pull experienced by different parts of a body. Since gravitational force decreases with distance, the part of the body closer to the black hole experiences stronger gravitational pull than the parts that are farther away. This causes a strong stretching effect, often described as 'spaghettification.' The life preserver acts to counterbalance these forces.
02

Analyzing the Gravitational Pull of the Hoop

The mass of the life preserver shaped like a flattened hoop would generate its own gravitational field. Due to its shape and position around the waist, it creates a gravitational force in the radial direction, pulling both upwards (towards the head) and downwards (towards the feet).
03

Impact on Head and Feet

The gravitational force exerted by the life preserver pulls on the person's head in a downward direction, towards the waist where the hoop is placed. Similarly, it pulls on the person's feet in an upward direction, again towards the hoop. This opposing pull creates a compressive effect, counterbalancing the black hole's extreme tidal forces that attempt to stretch the person.
04

Combining Forces

The life preserver’s gravitational pull balances the black hole’s tidal forces by applying compressive force contrary to the stretching effect. The hoop’s forces attempt to contract the body by pulling both head and feet towards the waist, thus minimizing the differential stretching tidal forces exerted by the black hole.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Spaghettification
Spaghettification is a mind-bending concept that occurs when objects come perilously close to a black hole. It's not just a fantastical term from science fiction. It's a real phenomenon dictated by the immense gravitational forces at play. Imagine being stretched into a thin spaghetti-like shape.
This stretching happens because of the drastic difference in gravitational pull on one side of an object compared to the other. It's like your feet are being pulled much more strongly than your head.
  • Stronger gravitational pull on the side closer to the black hole.
  • This results in elongation of objects, sometimes referred to as tidal stretching.
  • Gravity's difference over one's body height causes the spine-chilling spaghettification effect.
This stretching is usually fatal to conventional physical forms and explains why falling into a black hole is often portrayed as a one-way trip to doom.
Gravitational Force
The gravitational force is what gives weight to objects and maintains the structure of the universe by pulling masses towards each other. Newton explained it as a force between two masses. But Einstein took it further by associating it with the curvature of spacetime.
Near black holes, the gravitational forces are extraordinarily intense due to their massive, dense nature.
  • Gravity grows stronger as the distance decreases.
  • Black holes possess gravitational pull strong enough to not even let light escape.
  • This force varies significantly over short distances near a black hole, causing extreme effects.
Understanding gravity helps explain why tidal forces and spaghettification happen as you approach these mysterious cosmic giants.
Tidal Effects
Tidal effects are not unique to black holes; they're observable on Earth, primarily visible in ocean tides. However, around black holes, these effects are dramatically amplified and lethal.
The notion here is the differential gravitational effect—where different parts of a body experience varying forces.
  • Gravity decreases with distance, creating differential force.
  • This difference results in objects being stretched or compressed.
  • In black holes, tidal forces are so strong they can disrupt atoms.
An understanding of these tidal effects provides insight into the challenges of approaching a black hole, and why concepts like a life preserver might be entertained to counteract such forces.
Black Hole Physics
Black hole physics delves into the behavior of matter and energy in and around these enigmatic celestial objects. It's an area of study where classical and quantum physics often collide, offering perplexing challenges and intriguing phenomena.
Within black hole physics, several key concepts emerge:
  • The Event Horizon: a point of no return where nothing can escape the black hole's grasp.
  • Singularity: a point at the black hole's center where matter is infinitely dense.
  • Relativistic Effects: time and space behave differently near a black hole.
Understanding these elements allows scientists to think of innovative ideas, such as the black hole life preserver, which theoretically could help a person resist being stretched by tidal forces.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Unanswered Questions. You have seen in this chapter that current theoretical models make numerous predictions about the nature of black holes but leave many questions unanswered. Briefly describe one important but unanswered question related to black holes. If you think it will be possible to answer this question in the future, describe how we could find an answer, being as specific as possible about the evidence needed. If you think the question will never be answered, explain why you think it is impossible to answer.

Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or does not make sense (or is clearly false). Explain clearly; not all these have definitive answers, so your explanation is more important than your chosen answer. If the Sun suddenly became a \(1 M_{\text {Sun }}\) black hole, the orbits of the planets would not change at all.

What do we mean by the singularity of a black hole? How do we know that our current theories are inadequate to explain what happens at the singularity?

Black Holes. Andrew Hamilton, a professor at the University of Colorado, maintains a Web site with a great deal of information about black holes and what it would be like to visit one. Visit his site and investigate some aspect of black holes that you find particularly interesting. Write a short report on what you learn.

Suppose you are falling into a black hole. How will you perceive the passage of your own time? How will you perceive the passage of time in the universe around you? Briefly explain why your trip is likely to be lethal.

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free