1. White dwarfs and neutron stars. A spectral type B7 star like Alcyone in the o

Question

1. White dwarfs and neutron stars. A spectral type B7 star like Alcyone in the open cluster Pleiades will end its stellar life by ejecting most of its mass into a planetary nebula. The remaining mass (the stellar core or corpse) will collapse into a white dwarf. A white dwarf is a member of a class of objects called compact objects that also includes neutron stars and black holes.

Compact objects are incredibly dense. For white dwarfs, the outer electrons of the atoms that make up the star’s matter are packed closely as a result of electron degeneracy. For neutron stars, under the immense pressure of gravity, the electrons have combined with the protons to form neutrons, leaving the neutrons in a state known as neutron degeneracy.

Given that the density of a white dwarf is 109 kg/m3 and that the density of a neutron star is 1017 kg/m3, determine the weights, in tons, of:
(a) 1 cubic centimeter (1 cm3) of white dwarf matter = ___________________ tons [Round to 1 decimal.]
(b) 1 cubic centimeter (1 cm3) of neutron star matter = ___________________ tons [Use scientific notation; round to 1 decimal.]
(c) Write your answer to b in words: _____________________________ tons [Write just as a whole number.]
There are 100 (102) cm in 1 m. (Hint: How many cubic centimeters are there in 1 cubic meter?) Also, 1 ton (US) = 907 kg. Show your work in the box.

Explanation / Answer

a) weight of 1 cubic centimeter (1 cm3) of white dwarf matter=109(kg/m3)*(10-6)(m3/907=1.2*10-7 tons

b)weight of 1 cubic centimeter (1 cm3) of neutron star matter= 1017(kg/m3)*(10-6)(m3/570=1.1*10-6 tons

c)as a whole number= 1*10-6 tons

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