What is the most important difference between an active galactic nucleus and a dormant black hole at the centre of a galaxy?
A)Active galactic nuclei are only found in elliptical galaxies, but dormant black holes are found in all galaxy types.
B)The black holes in active galactic nuclei have much larger masses than those of dormant black holes.
C)The black holes in active galactic nuclei have much smaller masses than those of dormant black holes.
D)The black holes in active galactic nuclei have much more matter flowing into them.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most important difference between an active galactic nucleus and a dormant black hole is the amount of matter flowing into them. Active galactic nuclei have large amounts of matter flowing into the black hole, which causes them to emit vast amounts of radiation and energy. In contrast, dormant black holes have much less matter flowing into them, and thus do not emit significant amounts of radiation or energy. While black holes in both types of galaxies can vary greatly in mass, this is not the most important difference between them. Additionally, active galactic nuclei can be found in both elliptical and spiral galaxies, so choice A is not correct.

What Is the Most Important Difference Between an Active Galactic