What type of star typically ends its life cycle as a white dwarf?

A medium-sized star typically ends its life cycle as a white dwarf. Medium-sized stars, which are often referred to as solar-type stars (similar in characteristics to our Sun), go through a series of stages in their life cycle. After exhausting their nuclear fuel, these stars expand into red giants. During this phase, they shed their outer layers, creating a planetary nebula, while the core contracts and heats up. Eventually, this remaining core cools and shrinks down to form a white dwarf.

In contrast, massive stars and supergiant stars undergo a much more violent end to their life cycles, often resulting in supernova explosions and the formation of neutron stars or black holes, rather than white dwarfs. Red giants represent a phase that medium-sized stars experience before they become white dwarfs, but they do not end their lives as one. Therefore, the classification of medium-sized stars captures the essence of those stars that ultimately meet their end as white dwarfs.