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Name: Jimmy
Status: Student
Grade: 9-12
Location: GU
Country: N/A
Date: July 2005
Question:
I have a question about refrigerants used to cool your house in an air conditioner. What gives a refrigerant its ability to so rapidly change its state from liquid to gas, and at such different temperatures? Thank You.


Replies:
The rate of evaporation or condensation of refrigerants depends upon the heat exchanger, which is more a mechanical engineering design issue than the chemical nature of the refrigerant itself. The heat of vaporization (condensation) between the cold and hot temperatures at which the fluid functions does not change that much.

Vince Calder


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