Question

What is the function of the evaporator in a refrigerator?
A). The evaporator supplies the heat to the substance, which is to be cooled.
B). The evaporator absorbs the heat from the atmosphere.
C). The evaporator absorbs the heat from the substance, which is to be cooled.
D). Both A and B

Answer 1

Hint: Explain the basic working principle of a refrigerator, including the process of compression of refrigerant gas and the process of expansion of refrigerant gas and how it cools the substance inside the refrigerator. Remember to specially explain the role of the evaporator in absorbing the heat from the substance, which is to be cooled. The basic working of the refrigerator is very simple.

Complete step-by-step solution:
The working takes place in 4 basic steps
Step 1 – You place the substance to be cooled in the refrigerator. The refrigerator system is composed of tubes some thin and some thick. Tubes on the inside of the refrigerator have HFC-134a gas which exchanges heat with the substance to be cooled. The air in the inner tubes of the refrigerator is compressed with the help of a compressor. This compression warms up the air and transfers it to the outer thin tubes of the refrigerator
Step 2 – When the warm air in the outer thin tubes comes in contact with the atmosphere’s relatively cooler air. This brings down the temperature of the air in the outer tubes down to room temperature.
Step 3 – Then the air from the outer thin tubes is transferred back to the inner thicker tubes and finally the evaporator. Evaporator has more space available so the compressed gas expands rapidly which cools the gas down. This cool gas in the evaporator cools down the temperature of the substance we want to cool.
Step 4- Now the gas is again pumped back through the tubes to the compressor.
Thus, the evaporator absorbs the heat from the substance, which is to be cooled.
Hence, option C is the correct choice.

Note: As we mentioned in the solution above the refrigerator and on that note ACs and all the other cooling equipment use HFC-134a gas for cooling purposes. HFC-134a gas is very useful, but, on the other hand, when this HFC-134a gas is released into the atmosphere it can damage the ozone layer in the atmosphere. Scientists are already looking for alternatives to the HFC-134a gas.