Final answer:
In a condenser where two fluids of the same species transfer heat but with different mass flow rates, the fluid with the lower mass flow rate will undergo a larger temperature change. This is explained by the equation Q = mcΔT, which relates heat transferred, mass, and temperature change.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering a condenser as a heat exchanger where two fluids of the same species transfer heat but have different mass flow rates, it's the fluid with the lower mass flow rate that will experience a larger temperature change. This is because the amount of heat (Q) exchanged in the process depends on the mass (m), the specific heat capacity (c), and the temperature change (ΔT), as given by the equation Q = mcΔT. With the same amount of heat being transferred, a lower mass flow rate means there is less mass to absorb or release that heat, resulting in a larger temperature change for that fluid.
The principle governing this behavior is related to the conservation of energy, which in thermodynamics is often referred to as the first law of thermodynamics. Furthermore, the second law of thermodynamics underlines the direction of heat transfer from hot to cold and is crucial to understanding how condensers and other components in a thermodynamic cycle work.