Editing Openai/678c0503-f06c-8007-861c-0c2eeda101ba (section)

=== Assistant: The energy required for a star to collapse into a black hole isn't directly determined by E  mc², but this equation ca… ===
The energy required for a star to collapse into a black hole isn't directly determined by E = mc², but this equation can help understand the immense energy involved when mass is converted to energy.

A star becomes a black hole if its mass is sufficient to overcome all other forces resisting gravitational collapse, which depends on several factors:
# Mass of the Star: For a black hole to form, the remnant core of the star must typically exceed the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff (TOV) limit, around 2–3 solar masses. If the core is less massive, it may form a neutron star instead.
# Collapse Energy: During the collapse, the energy released is massive. A supernova explosion (if the star goes through this phase) releases vast amounts of energy (around 10^44 joules) as the outer layers of the star are ejected.
# E = mc² Context: The energy released during the collapse and potential supernova comes from processes such as nuclear fusion, neutrino emission, and gravitational binding energy. This doesn't consume all the star's mass but involves a significant fraction of it being converted into energy.

In short:
* A star doesn't "consume energy" to become a black hole; rather, it undergoes collapse due to gravitational forces overcoming internal pressure.
* The specific mass threshold depends on the star's composition, rotation, and environmental factors. A typical black hole progenitor must have an initial mass of at least 20–25 solar masses.