In order to determine the mass of a black hole, scientists use a variety of techniques such as observing the effects of the black hole's gravity on surrounding objects, studying the motion of matter falling into the black hole, and analyzing the distortion of light caused by the black hole's intense gravitational pull.
The mass of a black hole directly correlates with its size, meaning the more massive a black hole is, the larger its event horizon (the point of no return) will be. However, the size of a black hole can also be affected by its spin and the amount of matter it has consumed.
Yes, the mass of a black hole can change over time. As matter falls into a black hole, its mass will increase. Additionally, black holes can merge with other black holes, resulting in a larger mass. However, the mass of a black hole can also decrease if it emits radiation through processes such as Hawking radiation.
The escape velocity of a black hole is directly proportional to its mass. This means that the more massive a black hole is, the stronger its gravitational pull will be, and the higher the escape velocity required to leave its event horizon.
The maximum mass a black hole can have is unknown, but it is theorized to be around 100 billion times the mass of the sun. Beyond this point, the black hole's intense gravity would prevent it from absorbing more mass. However, scientists are still researching and studying the properties of black holes, so this number may change in the future.