Final answer:
White dwarfs are stable, compact objects that cannot contract any further. The Chandrasekhar limit is the maximum mass that a white dwarf can have. If a white dwarf reaches its mass limit, it will undergo a different kind of end.
Step-by-step explanation:
White dwarfs are stable, compact objects with electron-degenerate cores that cannot contract any further. The mass limit for a white dwarf is known as the Chandrasekhar limit, which is approximately 1.4 times the mass of the Sun. If a white dwarf were to reach its mass limit, it would undergo a different kind of end known as a different kind of end, which we will explore further in the next section.
White dwarfs have a small size compared to their parent stars, with a radius that can shrink as the mass increases. Calculations have shown that a white dwarf with a mass of around 1.4 times the mass of the Sun would have a radius of zero. The pressure exerted by degenerate electrons keeps white dwarfs from contracting further and becoming even smaller.
The consequences if a white dwarf were to reach its mass limit is that the force of degenerate electrons would no longer be able to stop the collapse of the star. This would result in the collapse of the star and a different outcome instead of becoming a white dwarf.