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Hi
Lv 7

How much of it's energy does a large star give out when it goes supernova becoming a black hole?

Like a percentage ... why is it still so heavy if it's energy exploded away?

1 Answer

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  • Anonymous
    2 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Let's talk about mass rather than energy, as the numbers are easier to handle.

    In type II supernovae, the explosion is caused by the core collapsing. At one point, the core, which is held together by gravity, sends out a shock wave. It's this shock wave that disrupts the rest of the star that hasn't collapsed and causes the outer layers to explode outwards. The core is left to become a neutron star or black hole, depending on its mass. So plenty of the star is still there.

    Your question is about "large stars", but type Ia supernovae occur when a white dwarf accretes too much material from a companion star and there is a runaway fusion reaction. In this type of supernova, the entire star is disrupted.

    I'm sure other answerers can fill in some details.

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