How much mass can a black hole have and what factors determine its maximum mass capacity?

Answer 1

Oh, isn't that a fascinating question! Black holes can have masses ranging from a few times that of our sun to millions of times larger. The maximum mass a black hole can have is mainly determined by the amount of matter it has consumed and the laws of physics governing their formation. Just like painting a beautiful landscape, black holes come in many different sizes and each one has its own unique story to tell.

Answer 2

Well, sweetheart, a black hole can have the mass of a few times that of our own Sun, up to several tens of billions of times larger. Honey, the factors that determine its max mass capacity include the density of matter in the region where the hole forms and how much chaotic space junk it can suck up without turning into too much of a diva.

Answer 3

Oh, dude, black holes can have a mass ranging from a few times that of the Sun to billions of solar masses. The factors that determine their maximum mass capacity include the amount of matter that falls into them and the space they occupy for their cosmic Netflix binge-watching sessions. Just imagine a cosmic vacuum cleaner that never gets full—it's a real party in there!

Answer 4

The maximum mass that a black hole can have is determined by the concept of the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit, which is also known as the TOV limit. This limit is the maximum mass that a non-rotating, gravitationally bound star made of degenerate neutron fermions can support against gravitational collapse.

In simple terms, this limit sets a maximum mass beyond which the force of gravity overwhelms all other forces (such as degeneracy pressure) trying to resist the collapse of matter. When this limit is exceeded, the star will undergo a gravitational collapse, leading to the formation of a black hole.

The theoretical upper limit for a black hole's mass is around 2-3 times the mass of our Sun, or about 2-3 solar masses. This is known as the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit. Once a black hole exceeds this mass, it is likely to collapse into a singularity, forming an event horizon beyond which even light cannot escape.

However, in practice, black holes in the universe can have much higher masses due to a variety of factors, such as accretion of matter from their surroundings, mergers with other black holes, or the presence of a rotating disk of matter (accretion disk) around them. Supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, for example, can have masses ranging from hundreds of thousands to billions of solar masses.

In summary, the maximum mass that a black hole can have is ultimately determined by the balance between gravitational forces trying to collapse the matter and any opposing forces such as degeneracy pressure or radiation pressure. The Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit provides a theoretical upper bound, but in reality, black hole masses can vary widely depending on their formation and interactions with surrounding matter.

Answer 5

A black hole can have any amount of mass, but its maximum mass capacity is determined by the amount of matter it can pull in and the forces that push against it, such as radiation and energy.