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The critical mass depends on the shape; I don't think there is an upper limit to that.For the case of a sphere, the critical mass for U-235 is 52 kg. The corresponding diameter of the sphere is 17 cm.

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Why is why is there an upper limit to the mass of neutron stars?

There is an upper limit to the mass of neutron stars because if the mass exceeds a certain value, known as the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit, the gravitational force would overcome the pressure from neutron degeneracy and cause the star to collapse further into a black hole. This limit is estimated to be around 2-3 times the mass of the Sun.


Why is there an upper limit to the mass of neutron stars?

There is an upper limit to the mass of neutron stars because if the neutron star is too massive, neutrons would be crushed by the gravity of the neutron star, and the neutron star would collapse into a black hole.


How much mass does a planet have?

No lower limit has been formally defined; the lowest-mass accepted planet is Mercury - 0.055 times Earth's mass. The largest planet in our Solar System is Jupiter, at 318 times Earth's mass. Larger planets are known to orbit other stars; the upper limit should be about 13 Jupiter masses or about 4000 Earth masses; an object with more mass than that would be a brown dwarf.


Is there a limit for the stars?

Yes, there are limits for stars - limits to lower and upper mass, longevity, size, etc. Given the mass of the universe a limit for the number of extant stars would also exist. During stellar collapse at end of a star's life there are some well-studied limits answering to degeneracy pressure, like the Chandresekhar limit, the Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit, etc., which prevent further collapse until a certain mass limit is exceeded (perhaps the last limit being quark degeneracy pressure before further collapse into a black hole). For further examination of a given limit, the limit in question would need to be identified.


Why is there a low mass limit for stars?

Stars are powered by nucliar fussion. There is minimum pressure and temperature requirement in order to start the process. So to became Star the object has to have enought mass to increase its internal temperature and pressure.

Related Questions

What is the upper limit to the mass of a white dwarf?

The upper limit to the mass of a white dwarf is about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun, known as the Chandrasekhar limit. Beyond this point, the white dwarf may collapse and explode in a supernova event.


Why is why is there an upper limit to the mass of neutron stars?

There is an upper limit to the mass of neutron stars because if the mass exceeds a certain value, known as the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit, the gravitational force would overcome the pressure from neutron degeneracy and cause the star to collapse further into a black hole. This limit is estimated to be around 2-3 times the mass of the Sun.


Why is there an upper limit to the mass of neutron stars?

There is an upper limit to the mass of neutron stars because if the neutron star is too massive, neutrons would be crushed by the gravity of the neutron star, and the neutron star would collapse into a black hole.


What is subcritical mass?

Subcritical mass refers to an amount of fissile material that is not enough to sustain a nuclear chain reaction. This means the material does not reach a critical mass where nuclear fission reactions can continue in a self-sustaining manner. In order for a sustained chain reaction to occur, the material must exceed the critical mass threshold.


What word is displayed when an object of mass greater than the upper limit is placed on the scale?

Error, maybe!


What is the quantity of fissionable material called that CANNOT sustain a nuclear reaction?

Subcritical mass is the quantity of fissionable material that cannot sustain a nuclear reaction. When the amount of fissionable material is below the critical mass required to sustain a chain reaction, it is considered subcritical.


What are in nuclear bombs?

Enough of either U235 or PU239 to form a critical mass and hence a large explosion


About how much many exoplanets have been foun about how big is the biggest one?

As of October 28, 2009 a total of 403 exoplanets have been discovered to date. The mass of an exoplanet is limited by classification. A planet's mass has an upper limit of 13 Jupiter masses as this is the upper limit for an object that can not fuse Deuterium. Any "exoplanet" larger than this limit is generally considered a brown dwarf.


There is an upper limit on the speed of a particle This means that there is also an upper limit on its?

energy. As a particle's speed approaches the speed of light, its energy increases, but it cannot exceed a certain value. This limit is known as the speed of light, and particles with mass cannot travel at or beyond this speed.


Why is large mass of uranium-235 needed for a chain reaction?

Each time a U235 atom decays, it emits 2-3 neutrons. The likelihood that one of these neutrons is captured by another U235 atom INCREASES with more mass. The SHAPE of this mass will also play a role, imagine a thin wire of U235, compared to a sphere, with regards to how likely a chain reaction will occur. Neutron reflection can also help redirect an errant neutron back into the mass so it can react instead. Compression (increase of density) plays a role as well.


There is no limit to the mass with which a star can be born?

While there is no strict limit to the mass of a star at its birth, the range typically falls between 0.1 to 150 times the mass of our Sun. Stars more massive than this upper limit would have such strong gravitational forces that they would not be able to maintain stable fusion reactions and would likely end up as black holes or neutron stars.


How are isotopes of the same element named?

The same name with a different atomic mass number. As an example U235 and U238 are two isotopes of Uranium