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A compact neutron star has a mass of 2.8 ✕ 10³⁰ kg (about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun) but a radius of only 104 m (approximately 6.2 mi!). If a clock on the surface of this exotic star marks the passage of 4.4 h of time, how much time (in h) is observed to pass on an identical clock located a very large distance from the neutron star?

User Jbg
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Final answer:

Time dilation caused by a strong gravitational field implies that less time will pass on a clock near the surface of a neutron star compared to a clock far away. This means that more than 4.4 hours will be observed on the clock located a large distance from the neutron star, but without the Schwarzschild radius and the gravitational constant, a specific calculation cannot be provided.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the time dilation effect due to the gravitational field of a neutron star. According to general relativity, time passes at different rates in different gravitational potentials. The effect of time dilation near the surface of a neutron star, which has an extremely strong gravitational field, can be significant compared to a location far away from it.

Since the neutron star has a mass of 2.8 × 10³° kg and a radius of only 104 m, its gravitational potential will cause a clock on its surface to run slower than clocks further away. We can use the formula for gravitational time dilation to calculate the ratio of the elapsed time between the two clocks, but since this question seems to be a conceptual one lacking the necessary details (such as the Schwarzschild radius and the gravitational constant), we are unable to provide a quantitative answer. Conceptually, more time will be observed to pass on the identical clock located a very large distance from the neutron star than the 4.4 hours observed on the surface.

User Jonua
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