Final answer:
A cooling thermostat opens on a rise in temperature, which is part of a negative feedback loop to bring the system back to its normal operating temperature range by allowing a cooling medium to flow.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cooling thermostat is a component in a system that helps maintain a desired temperature by regulating the flow of a cooling fluid or air. Specifically, a cooling thermostat opens on a rise in temperature.
This action is part of a negative feedback loop where the thermostat responds to an increase in temperature by opening, which allows a cooling medium (such as coolant in an engine or refrigerant in an air conditioning system) to flow and reduce the temperature. As the high temperature side of the system expands, it can compress the low temperature side. Over time, heat transfer also contributes to the increase of the low temperature side as it slowly absorbs heat from the warmer side, causing its temperature to rise. This process is gradual and works to bring the system back into a state of equilibrium, which is the normal operating range for the temperature.