Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Refrigerators are appliances that remove heat from their interior compartments and release it into their surroundings, resulting in lower temperatures inside.
As mentioned earlier, refrigerators operate on similar principles as heat pumps but in reverse. Instead of transferring warmth indoors, refrigerators extract it outwards.
The study of energy transformations involving temperature changes is crucial in understanding how refrigeration systems work.
Compressor: The compressor is an essential component in refrigerators that increases the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant gas before sending it through condenser coils for cooling.