Which of the Following Best Describes Why a White Dwarf

question 14

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes why a white dwarf cannot have a mass greater than the 1.4-solar-mass limit?

• A)Electron degeneracy pressure depends on the speeds of electrons,which approach the speed of light as a white dwarf's mass approaches the 1.4-solar-mass limit.
• B)White dwarfs get hotter with increasing mass,and above the 1.4-solar-mass limit they would be so hot that even their electrons would melt.
• C)White dwarfs are made only from stars that have masses less than the 1.4-solar-mass limit.
• D)The upper limit to a white dwarf's mass is something we have learned from observations,but no one knows why this limit exists.