Activity 2

The Reverse of It
Objectives: The learners should be able to discuss how heat pumps (refrigerator and air conditioner)
work.

Materials Needed:

Procedure: Study the illustration of their parts.

Guide Questions:

1. How refrigerator's work?

 Refrigerators work by causing the refrigerant circulating inside them to change from a liquid
into a gas. This process, called evaporation, cools the surrounding area and produces the
desired effect. When you release the contents into the lower pressure open space, it turns
from a liquid to a gas.

2. Describe the compressor? How does it work? What gas is inside the compressor which has low
boiling point?
 Compressor is part of a freezer, refrigerator or air conditioner in its cooling cycle. The
compressor works by removing heat from an object inside a refrigerator or freezer. An
object with high temperature has more heat compared to an object with lower
temperature. When heat is removed in an object, its temperature decreases. An object with
low temperature is said to be cold or frozen.

3. What happened to the hot gas produced by compression?

 The hot gas produced by compression in the refrigeration cycle is transferred to the
condenser. The condenser then dissipates the heat from the refrigerant to the outside air.

4. How condenser functions?

 The condenser removes heat from the hot refrigerant vapor gas vapor until it condenses
into a saturated liquid state or the condensation.

5. What happens to the pressure and heat in the evaporator?

 When the liquid refrigerant reaches the evaporator its pressure has been reduced,
dissipating its heat content and making it much cooler than the fan air flowing around it.
This causes the refrigerant to absorb heat from the warm air and reach its low boiling point
rapidly.

6. When does the cycle repeat?

 As a hot low-pressure gas, the refrigerant moves to the compressor where the entire cycle is
repeated.

7. Discuss the complete cycle of how refrigerator works.

 The refrigeration cycle starts and ends with the compressor. The refrigerant flows into the
Compressor where it is compressed and pressurised. At this point, the refrigerant is a hot
gas. The refrigerant is then pushed to the Condenser which turns the vapour into liquid and
absorbs some of the heat. The refrigerant then proceeds to the Expansion Valve where it
expands, losing pressure and heat.

A. How the air conditioner works?

8. What is the function of an air conditioning unit?
 The main function of an air conditioning unit is to provide cool ventilation inside a room or a
building wherein heat is removed from a certain location to give a cool and chilled air effect.

9. How air conditioning unit works during summer?

 The air conditioning works during summer because of the chemical called a refrigerant loops
from inside the home to outside and back again, absorbing and casting out heat in the
process.

10. What is the function of the air conditioner during cold days?
 During the cold days, the air conditioner is used to make the air warm in an immediate area.
The device provides warmer air in the same way it produces cooler air during hot days.

11. What is needed to transfer heat in this device?

 The transfer of heat may occur in several ways and is classified into the following
mechanisms of thermal transfer: conduction, convection, radiation.