Question

If the Sun has a Schwarzschild radius why isn't it a black hole?

a. It is too big
b. It is too small
c. It is too massive
d. it is not massive enough
e. the Sun does not have a Schwarzschild radius

Answer 1

The Sun isn't a black hole because it is not massive enough to compress its mass within its Schwarzschild radius; hence, it lacks the necessary density to form an event horizon.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason the Sun is not a black hole even though it has a Schwarzschild radius is because it is not massive enough. Each object possesses a Schwarzschild radius that signifies the radius at which its escape velocity would equal the speed of light, turning it into a black hole. However, for an object to actually become a black hole, its entire mass must be within this critical radius, requiring a significantly high density.

The Sun's actual radius far exceeds its Schwarzschild radius, meaning its mass is spread out over a larger volume and it does not have the required density to form an event horizon. Therefore, the correct answer to why the Sun isn't a black hole is option d. it is not massive enough.