Assuming a neutron star is as dense as an atomic nucleus and there are 7.1 * 10⁵⁶ nucleons (almost entirely neutrons),estimate the diameter of this neutron star.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Assuming a neutron star is as dense as an atomic nucleus, its density is roughly 2.8 x 10^14 g/cm^3. Using this density and the number of nucleons given (7.1 x 10^30), we can calculate the neutron star's volume:

volume = (number of nucleons)/(density of neutron star)
= (7.1 x 10^30)/(2.8 x 10^14)
= 2.54 x 10^16 cm^3

Taking the cube root of this volume gives us the diameter of the neutron star:

diameter = 3√(volume/(4/3π))
= 3√(2.54 x 10^16/(4/3π))
= 19.8 km

Therefore, the best choice is C) 20 km.

Assuming a Neutron Star Is as Dense as an Atomic