The Chandrasekhar limit marks the failure of which pressure against gravitational collapse in a white dwarf star?

💡 Explanation:

The Chandrasekhar Limit (approximately 1.44 solar masses) is the maximum mass for a stable white dwarf. White dwarfs are primarily supported against gravitational collapse by a quantum mechanical effect called electron degeneracy pressure. When a white dwarf exceeds this critical mass, the electron degeneracy pressure is insufficient to counteract the crushing force of gravity, leading to a catastrophic core collapse, typically resulting in a Type Ia supernova and formation of a neutron star or black hole. Thermal pressure (B) supports main-sequence stars, and neutron degeneracy pressure (D) supports neutron stars.