Refrigerant

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/refrigerant

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 the thermodynamic cycle?Refrigerants operate on the vapor-compression cycle, involving evaporation, compression, condensation, and expansion
2. What is the emerging refrigerants?Focus on low-GWP options like HFOs, CO2, ammonia, and hydrocarbons for sustainability
3. What is a refrigerant and how does it keep things cold?A refrigerant is a special liquid that can absorb heat when it turns into a gas, and then release that heat when it turns back into a liquid. This cycle moves warm air out of your fridge or room and keeps the inside cool.
4. Why do refrigerants change from liquid to gas and back again?When the refrigerant is in the evaporator it absorbs heat from the cold space and turns into a gas. In the condenser it gives that heat to the outside air and becomes a liquid again.

Global Warming Potential (GWP): A measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over time compared to carbon dioxide.
Montreal Protocol: An international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of substances that deplete it.
Latent Heat of Vaporization: The amount of energy required to change a substance from a liquid to a gas at a constant temperature and pressure.