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When a black hole increases in mass by a factor of two, what happens to its temperature?

a) It doubles
b) It halves
c) It remains the same
d) It becomes zero

User Saljuama
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Final answer:

When the mass of a black hole doubles, its temperature halves due to the inverse relationship between mass and temperature inherent in Hawking radiation.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a black hole increases in mass by a factor of two, its temperature decreases proportionally. Specifically, the temperature of a black hole is inversely proportional to its mass, according to the principles of Hawking radiation. Therefore, if the mass of a black hole doubles, its temperature will halve. As such, the correct answer to the question is b) It halves.

For example, if you had a black hole that was initially at temperature T, after the mass doubles, the new temperature would be T/2. This counterintuitive result arises from the nature of black holes and quantum effects, and it reflects the concept that as black holes become more massive, they actually become cooler.

User Kkonrad
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