Heat pump

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/heat-pump

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is a heat pump and how does it keep my house warm?A heat pump moves heat from outside to inside. It uses a refrigerant that changes from gas to liquid and back, so it can warm the house without burning fuel.
2. Why does a heat pump compress the refrigerant?Compressing the refrigerant makes it hot, so it can release heat inside the house. When it expands outside, it absorbs heat from the air.

Thermodynamic Cycle: A series of thermodynamic processes that convert heat into work or vice versa, like the refrigeration cycle.
Refrigerant: A working fluid that undergoes phase changes to absorb and release heat during the thermodynamic cycle.
Latent Heat: The heat absorbed or released during a phase change (like condensation or evaporation) at a constant temperature.
Global Warming Potential (GWP): A measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over a specific time period relative to carbon dioxide.