Consider an electric refrigerator located in a room.

Answered question

2022-04-24

Consider an electric refrigerator located in a room. Determine the direction of the work and heat interactions (in  or out) when the following are taken as the system: 

(a) the contents of the refrigerator,  

(b) all parts of the refrigerator including the contents, and  

(c) everything contained within the room during a winter day. 

 

Answer & Explanation

user_27qwe

user_27qwe

Skilled2022-07-02Added 375 answers

(a) Consider only the contents in the refrigerator as one system. The function of a refrigerator is to reduce and maintain the contents temperature in order to avoid spoilage. Thus, heat must be removed from the contents in order to maintain temperature. Also, there is a chance of heat added to the contents through the walls of the refrigerator as the room air is hotter than the contents.

(b) Consider the entire refrigerator box with its contents when the doors are closed as one system. In this case, there will be three possible interactions. Electrical work is added to the refrigerator to run the compressor and other units through the power supply. Heat will be rejected into the room from the refrigerator through condenser walls. Also, there is a transfer of heat from the warm room air to the refrigerator through its walls.

(c) Consider everything contained within the room (room, refrigerator, and contents) as one system. In this case, electrical work is done on the room through electrical wiring connected to the room. Since it is a cold winter day, heat will be transferred from the walls of the room from the warm room air to the cold winter air.

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