Question

Suppose you try to cool the kitchen of your house by leaving the refrigerator door open. What happens? Why? Would the result be the same if you left open a picnic cooler full of ice? Explain the reason for any differences.

Short answer

The refrigerant is the cooling liquid that spreads inside the refrigerator and maintains the desired temperature. The refrigerator can cool the object only if it is isolated from the environment. When the door of the refrigerator is kept open, then it will draw some heat from inside the refrigerator and the temperature of the room will increase.

If the package color full of ice is kept open, then there is no work done by external forces and the ice draws heat from the surroundings and starts melting. After some time, the ice will be in thermal equilibrium with the kitchen and thus the temperature of the kitchen is reduced.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1:Definition of the second law of thermodynamics

According to the second law of thermodynamics, if the door of the two adjoining rooms is kept open then the cooler room will become warmer and the warmer room will become cooler until the same temperature is achieved. Refrigeration is a process in which the unwanted heat is removed from space.

Step 2:Differences intemperature

The refrigerant is the cooling liquid that spreads inside the refrigerator and maintains the desired temperature. The refrigerator can cool the object only if it is isolated from the environment. When the door of the refrigerator is kept open, then it will draw some heat from inside the refrigerator and the temperature of the room will increase.

If the package color full of ice is kept open, then there is no work done by external forces and the ice draws heat from the surroundings and starts melting. After some time, the ice will be in thermal equilibrium with the kitchen and thus the temperature of the kitchen is reduced.