Final answer:
The condenser is the component in an air conditioning system that converts gas into liquid by releasing heat to the surroundings. It is part of the refrigeration cycle, which includes compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation processes that facilitate efficient heat transfer and cooling.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of an air conditioning system, the component that converts gas into liquid is the condenser. The cycle begins when the electrically driven compressor (work input W) increases the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant gas, after which it is sent into the condenser coils. Inside the condenser, the gas releases heat to the surroundings due to its higher temperature relative to the interior space, and as a result, the refrigerant condenses into a liquid. This liquid then moves back through a pressure-reducing valve, returning to the evaporator coils, where it is cooled by expansion, thus completing the cycle.
The evaporator plays an opposite role in the cycle; it converts the liquid refrigerant into gas by absorbing heat from the environment, which then moves on to the compressor. This heat absorption and evaporation process is critical in providing cooling to the interior space, such as the inside of a refrigerator or the conditioned space of a home or building.
Overall, the workings of an air conditioner or heat pump involve a carefully orchestrated cycle of compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation, allowing for efficient heat transfer that cools an environment or, in the case of a heat pump, can also heat it.