What is the main force dictating the eventual fate and change of a massive nebula?
Answer
Gravity
Gravity is identified as the primary and most significant physical influence acting upon a nebula over long timescales, making it the agent of change that dictates its ultimate fate. While other forces such as magnetic fields, thermal pressure, and rotation are present, the sheer scale of the mass within a nebula causes its self-gravitation to become the overwhelming force that initiates collapse once a critical density threshold is reached. This gravitational attraction governs the transition from a diffuse cloud to concentrated structures.
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