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A neutron star is a cold, collapsed star with nuclear density. A particular neutron star has a mass twice that of our Sun with a radius of 12.0 km. (a) What would be the weight of a 100-kg astronaut on standing on its surface? (b) What does this tell us about landing on a neutron star?

a) (4.0 × 10⁵ {N})
b) It's impossible to land due to extreme gravitational forces.
c) (1.0 × 10⁵ {N})
d) Gravity would crush any material instantly.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The weight of a 100-kg astronaut on a neutron star is significantly higher than on Earth, realistically leading to an instantaneous crushing due to the intense gravitational force. Landing or surviving on a neutron star is thus impossible with current technology and understanding of physics.

Step-by-step explanation:

Neutron Star Gravity and Weight Calculations

The question presents a hypothetical scenario involving a neutron star with a mass twice that of the Sun and a radius of 12.0 km, and asks for the weight of a 100-kg astronaut standing on its surface. To tackle this question, we need to use the formula for the gravitational force:

F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2

Where:

  • F is the gravitational force (weight)
  • G is the gravitational constant (6.67430 x 10^-11 N m^2 kg^-2)
  • m1 is the mass of the object (astronaut)
  • m2 is the mass of the neutron star
  • r is the radius of the neutron star

Using the provided mass of the Sun (1.99 x 10^30 kg) for our calculations, the astronaut's weight on the neutron star comes out to be an astronomically high number, far exceeding normal human experience.

In reality, the astronaut would experience a gravitational force so intense that it would be impossible to withstand, let alone land on a neutron star. The immense gravitational force would instantly crush any material not composed of neutronic matter, rendering any attempted landing or survival purely speculative and firmly within the realm of science fiction.

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