Final answer:
The substance used in refrigerators and freezers for cooling is known as the original formula of refrigerant. Refrigerants like this change phase in the refrigeration cycle, absorbing heat from inside the appliance and releasing it outside to provide cooling.
Step-by-step explanation:
In an experiment, the term that refers to the substance used to cause cooling in refrigerators and freezers is the original formula of refrigerant. Refrigerants are compounds, typically fluids, used in refrigeration cycles where they undergo a phase change from liquid to gas and back again. For example, in a typical household refrigerator, a coolant with a boiling temperature below the freezing point of water cycles through the system. As the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator, it absorbs heat from the interior of the refrigerator or freezer, thus causing cooling.
The chemical reaction for the freezing of water is H₂O(l) → H₂O(s), where (l) and (s) represent the liquid and solid phases, respectively. This process illustrates a physical change rather than a chemical reaction. In refrigerators, the refrigerant undergoes a similar cycle but in a controlled refrigeration cycle that includes stages of compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation.