Question

Since Hawking radiation comes from virtual particle pairs getting separated by the event horizon, shouldn't black holes emit just as many negative mass particles as positive mass ones, thus staying the same mass?

Answer 1

Black holes emit more positive mass particles than negative mass particles through Hawking radiation, leading to a gradual decrease in their mass over time.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to quantum mechanics, black holes can radiate energy by a process known as Hawking radiation. This process involves the creation of particle-antiparticle pairs near the event horizon of the black hole, with one member falling into the black hole and the other escaping. The escaping particle carries away energy, causing the black hole to lose mass and eventually shrink.

It is important to note that in this process, both positive and negative mass particles are created. However, the black hole emits more positive mass particles than negative mass particles, which results in a net loss of mass over time.

Therefore, while black holes do emit negative mass particles through Hawking radiation, the emission of positive mass particles is more significant, leading to a decrease in the black hole's mass over time.