Final answer:
The HVAC system uses a confined gas to cool the passenger area of a vehicle, operating on thermodynamic principles and the Carnot cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The system that uses a confined gas to cool the passenger area of a vehicle is the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system. This system operates on the principles of thermodynamics, particularly the Carnot cycle, which can be used to move heat from one place to another, such as from the interior of a car to the outside environment. In the HVAC system, an electrically driven compressor does work on a refrigerant gas, raising its temperature and pressure, and then forces it into the condenser coils. The heat from the gas is released into the atmosphere, causing the gas to condense into a liquid. The high-pressure liquid then flows through an expansion valve and cools down further, absorbing heat from the car's interior when it evaporates in the evaporator coils, thereby cooling the space.