Question

What is the typical mass of a giant molecular cloud?

A) 10 to 100 solar masses
B) 1000 to 10,000 solar masses
C) 100,000 to 1 million solar masses
D) 10 million to 1 billion solar masses

Answer 1

A giant molecular cloud typically has a mass that ranges from thousands to about 3 million solar masses, containing clumps and cores which are precursors to star formation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The typical mass of a giant molecular cloud ranges from thousands to about 3 million solar masses. These clouds are denser than the average interstellar space, containing a significant fraction of the mass of gas in the Milky Way. Within these molecular clouds are regions known as clumps, with masses of 50 to 500 solar masses, and even denser regions called cores, which are the formation sites of stars.