Question

the poetry of physics
pre-test complete
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which excerpt from neil degrasse tyson’s death by black hole best provides evidence that escape from a black hole is impossible?
○... the speed required to escape a black hole is greater than the speed of light itself.... light travels at exactly 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum and is the fastest stuff in the universe.
○ but if the black hole were 6,000 feet across, then the same man’s feet would be only one-tenth of 1 percent closer to the center than his head, and the difference in gravity—the tidal force—would be correspondingly small.
○ meanwhile, the stuff within the event horizon has collapsed to an infinitesimal point at the black hole’s center. so black holes are not so much deadly objects as they are deadly regions of space.
○ if you stumbled upon a black hole and found yourself falling feet-first toward its center, then as you got closer, the black hole’s force of gravity would grow astronomically.

Explanation:

To determine which excerpt shows escape from a black hole is impossible, we analyze each option:

• First option: States escape speed from a black hole exceeds light speed, and light is the fastest in the universe. Since nothing can go faster than light, this shows escape is impossible.
• Second option: Discusses tidal force with a specific black hole size, not escape impossibility.
• Third option: Describes the event horizon and black hole center, not escape impossibility.
• Fourth option: Describes increasing gravity near a black hole, not escape impossibility.

Answer:

... the speed required to escape a black hole is greater than the speed of light itself.... light travels at exactly 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum and is the fastest stuff in the universe.