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Choose the statement below which most correctly compares and contrasts a heat pump with a refrigerator.

A. Both heat pump and refrigerator transfer heat from a low-temperature reservoir to a high-temperature reservoir.
B. The heat pump is designed to cool the space, while the refrigerator is designed to heat it.
C. Heat pumps only operate in winter, while refrigerators only operate in summer.
D. Refrigerators are used for industrial cooling, while heat pumps are used for residential heating.

User Mairin
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

A heat pump and a refrigerator both transfer heat from a colder to a warmer area, with the former mainly used for heating and the latter for cooling. The transferred heat is expressed as Qh = Qc + W. The efficiency of these systems is evaluated using a coefficient of performance.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement comparing and contrasting a heat pump with a refrigerator is: Both heat pump and refrigerator transfer heat from a low-temperature reservoir to a high-temperature reservoir. Heat pumps and refrigerators utilize heat transfer from a colder area to a warmer one, requiring work input W. The transferred heat to the warmer reservoir is calculated as Qh = Qc + W, where Qc is the heat removed from the cold space and W is the work input.

A heat pump is designed predominantly to warm an environment by transferring heat into it, such as heating a home in the winter. However, it can also be used to cool a space by reversing the process. In contrast, the primary function of a refrigerator and air conditioners is to remove heat from a closed environment to keep it cool, such as preserving food at lower temperatures.

The coefficient of performance (COP) is a measure used to determine the efficiency of these systems. The benefit which is heat transfer into the warm environment for a heat pump could be considered waste heat for a refrigerator.

User Gajendra D Ambi
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