TED-Ed: Fabio Pacucci: Can a black hole be destroyed?

The video explores the nature of black holes, their indestructibility, and the theory of Hawking radiation, which suggests that black holes can gradually lose mass and eventually evaporate. It explains the concept of black hole thermodynamics, which relates a black hole's mass to its temperature and energy emission. The video also discusses the timeline for black hole evaporation, noting that it takes an incredibly long time for a black hole to fully evaporate, and speculates on the universe's distant future.

What happens to an object that crosses a black hole's event horizon?

• It adds to the black hole's mass and disappears.

• It orbits the black hole indefinitely.

• It is destroyed and ceases to exist.

• It becomes visible again after some time.

What is the main idea behind Hawking radiation?

• Black holes grow larger by absorbing light.

• Black holes can lose mass through quantum fluctuations.

• Black holes emit light as they spin.

• Black holes can be destroyed by other black holes.

How do virtual particle pairs contribute to Hawking radiation?

• One particle escapes while the other falls into the black hole.

• Both particles are absorbed by the black hole.

• They collide and create a burst of light.

• They merge to form a new black hole.

According to black hole thermodynamics, how is the temperature of a black hole related to its mass?

• The temperature fluctuates randomly.

• The more massive the black hole, the higher its temperature.

• The more massive the black hole, the lower its temperature.

• The temperature is constant regardless of mass.

What is a potential observational evidence of Hawking radiation?

• Sound waves detected from black holes.

• Infrared radiation from black holes.

• Gamma ray flashes in the sky.

• Visible light emitted from black holes.