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How does an Air Conditioner work?

Technology | 10-13 yrs | Interactive, Learning Pod

What does an air conditioner do?

An air conditioner is able to make the temperature in a room cooler with the help of a chemical called a ‘coolant’. A coolant is essential to the functioning of an AC because it has properties that easily allow it to change back and forth between liquid and gaseous states.

How air conditioners work?

The inside of an AC has a tube containing the coolant through which air passes. When the coolant changes from one state to another, there is a large transfer of energy which results in the cooling of the room. The tube has two parts – the part with the compressor is outside the room and the evaporator along with the outlet for cool air is inside the room. When the liquid coolant reaches the evaporator, it absorbs the heat around it and turns into a gas.

This warm gas then passes through the compressor. The compressor transforms the gas back into a liquid by squashing all the heat out of it. The hot air is expelled outside the room and the cool liquid continues down its path. This process continuously recycles warm air into cool air.

Difference between the working of an air conditioner and a refrigerator

A fridge functions with the same principles. Rather than a room, the cool air is being circulated within the fridge and keeps the food cold and fresh.

Things to do

Find out how an electric water heater works. Is it similar to an air conditioner?

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Timeline of Cooling Inventions, visit: https://mocomi.com/cooling-inventions/