Final answer:
High-mass stars, greater than 8 times the mass of our Sun, will undergo a supernova explosion, whereas intermediate- to low-mass stars will form planetary nebulas at the end of their life cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
A supernova is a violent stellar explosion that marks the end of a star's life cycle. Upon their death, high-mass stars, which are defined as those with a mass greater than 8 times the mass of our Sun, can undergo a supernova explosion. Contrary to high-mass stars, intermediate- to low-mass stars, which are between 0.8 to 8 times the mass of our Sun, do not typically end their life cycle as a supernova; instead, they go through a less violent process, where they shed their outer layers and form planetary nebulas as they run out of nuclear fuel.
After a high-mass star has evolved through various stages and developed a carbon-oxygen core, its core will ultimately collapse, leading to a type II supernova explosion. Red giants, on the other hand, swell up and eject their outer layers due to stellar winds, eventually exposing their hot inner cores, leading to the formation of a planetary nebula. In summary, the type of star that will form a supernova is a high-mass star (greater than 8x the mass of our Sun).