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Date November 2018 Marks available 1 Reference code 18N.3.HL.TZ0.7
Level Higher level Paper Paper 3 Time zone 0 - no time zone
Command term Calculate Question number 7 Adapted from N/A

Question

A probe launched from a spacecraft moves towards the event horizon of a black hole.

State what is meant by the event horizon of a black hole.

[1]
a.i.

The mass of the black hole is 4.0 × 1036 kg. Calculate the Schwarzschild radius of the black hole.

[1]
a.ii.

The probe is stationary above the event horizon of the black hole in (a). The probe sends a radio pulse every 1.0 seconds (as measured by clocks on the probe). The spacecraft receives the pulses every 2.0 seconds (as measured by clocks on the spacecraft). Determine the distance of the probe from the centre of the black hole.

[3]
b.

Markscheme

the distance from the black hole at which the escape speed is the speed of light ✔

a.i.

Rs = « 2 G M c 2 = 2 × 6.67 × 10 11 × 4.0 × 10 36 9.0 × 10 16 = » 5.9 × 109 «m» ✔

a.ii.

2 = 1 1 5.9 × 10 9 r

rearranged to give r

OR

r = 1.33 × 5.9 × 109 «m» ✔

r = 7.9 × 109 «m» ✔

 

b.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.i.
[N/A]
a.ii.
[N/A]
b.

Syllabus sections

Option A: Relativity » Option A: Relativity (Additional higher level option topics) » A.5 – General relativity (HL only)
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Option A: Relativity » Option A: Relativity (Additional higher level option topics)
Option A: Relativity

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