Final answer:
A machine rated at 10 refrigeration tons can melt 10 tons of ice in a 24-hour period, as one refrigeration ton is defined as the heat absorption required to melt 1 ton of ice at 32°F over 24 hours.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is about calculating the amount of ice produced by a machine rated at 10 tons over a period of 24 hours.
A ton in this context likely refers to a refrigeration ton, which is a unit of power used in engineering and some regions to describe the heat-extraction capacity of cooling and air conditioning systems.
One refrigeration ton is equivalent to the heat absorption of melting 1 ton (about 2000 pounds) of ice at 32°F (0°C) over the period of 24 hours. This is equivalent to 12,000 British thermal units (BTUs) per hour, or 288,000 BTUs over 24 hours.
So, a machine rated at 10 tons would be capable of melting 10 tons of ice in 24 hours.
Since refrigeration tons measure the amount of heat absorbed rather than the physical quantity of ice, you would need the energy required to melt ice to convert it to an actual mass or volume of ice.
However, in this case, we're essentially being asked to affirm the machine's rating as a direct measurement of production capability, so it would be 10 tons of ice in 24 hours.