A black hole is a region of space where gravity is so | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for An Introduction to Thermal Physics

Chapter 2 Problem 42P

Question

Problem 42PA black hole is a region of space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. Throwing something into a black hole is therefore an irreversible process, at least in the everyday sense of the word. In fact, it is irreversible in the thermodynamic sense as well: Adding mass to a black hole increases the black hole’s entropy. It turns out that there’s no way to tell (at least from outside) what kind of matter has gone into making a black hole. Therefore, the entropy of a black hole must be greater than the entropy of any conceivable type of matter that could have been used to create it. Knowing this, it’s not hard to estimate the entropy of a black hole.a) Use dimensional analysis to show that a black hole of mass M should have a radius of order GM/c2, where G is Newton’s gravitational constant and c is the speed of light. Calculate the approximate radius of a one-solar-mass black hole (M = 2 × 1030 kg).b)  In the spirit of below Problem, explain why the entropy of a black hole, in fundamental units, should be of the order of the maximum number of particles that could have been used to make it.c) To make a black hole out of the maximum possible number of particles, you should use particles with the lowest possible energy: long-wavelength photons (or other mass less particles). But the wavelength can’t be any longer than the size of the black hole. By setting the total energy of the photons equal to Mc2, estimate the maximum number of photons that could be used to make a black hole of mass M. Aside from a factor of 8π2, your result should agree with the exact formula for the entropy of a black hole, obtained* through a much more difficult calculation.d) Calculate the entropy of a one-solar-mass black hole, and comment on the result.

Problem:For either a monatomic ideal gas or a high-temperature Einstein solid, the entropy is given by Nk times some logarithm. The logarithm is never large, so if all you want is an order-of-magnitude estimate, you can neglect it and just say S ~ Nk. That is, tire entropy in fundamental units is of the order of the number of particles in the system. This conclusion turns out to be true for most systems (with some important exceptions at low temperatures where the particles are behaving in an orderly way). So just for fun, make a very rough estimate of the entropy of each of the following: this book (a kilogram of carbon compounds); a moose (400 kg of water); the sun (2 × 1030 kg of ionized hydrogen).

Solution

Solution

Step 1

The entropy of a black hole is Nk multiplied by some logarithm. The order of magnitude estimate of the entropy is S~Nk. We need to estimate the number of particles that went into constructing the black hole. We consider the lowest possible energy to be the photon with a wavelength equal to the radius of the black hole.

The total energy of black hole is MC2 so the number of such photon is.

The entropy is

S~

For a solar mass black hole

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full solution

Title An Introduction to Thermal Physics  1 
Author Daniel V. Schroeder
ISBN 9780201380279

A black hole is a region of space where gravity is so

Chapter 2 textbook questions

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