Why are white dwarf stars called so?

Answer 1

Because of the Way they appear.

Because of the way they literally appear, a white dwarf is defined as a white, small star that is roughly the size of the Earth, maybe a little bit larger. White dwarfs are the core of doomed stars that resemble our Sun; they are primarily composed of carbon and oxygen, and because of the intense gravity acting on their small size, which squeezes the atoms tightly to increase pressure, they are extremely hot.

The White Dwarf is the remnant core of a star that resembles the Sun. When the Sun uses up all of its hydrogen, it expands into a Red Giant with Helium in its core, at which point it begins to burn Helium in the core to produce Carbon through triple-alpha reactions. When the Sun uses up all of its fuel, fusion ceases, and the inward acting gravity collapses the Star, causing the outer layers to expand and blow off into a Planetary Nebula, leaving a White Dwarf in the center.

Because white dwarfs are small in comparison to stars and have low luminosity when the area is small, it can be very challenging to detect them even in extremely hot temperatures.

Sign up to view the whole answer

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Sign up with email
Answer 2

The term "white" refers to their color, which is caused by their high surface temperatures, and the term "dwarf" indicates their small size compared to other stars. White dwarf stars are named after low to medium mass stars that have run out of nuclear fuel and collapsed to a very dense state.

Sign up to view the whole answer

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Sign up with email
Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

Not the question you need?

Drag image here or click to upload

Or press Ctrl + V to paste
Answer Background
HIX Tutor
Solve ANY homework problem with a smart AI
  • 98% accuracy study help
  • Covers math, physics, chemistry, biology, and more
  • Step-by-step, in-depth guides
  • Readily available 24/7