The second law of thermodynamics implies that the coefficient of performance of a refrigerator must be what? (a) less than 1 (b) less than or equal to 1 (c) greater than or equal to 1 (d) finite (e) greater than 0
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Textbook Solutions for Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics
Question
In 1993, the U.S. government instituted a requirement that all room air conditioners sold in the United States must have an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 10 or higher. The EER is defined as the ratio of the cooling capacity of the air conditioner, measured in British thermal units per hour, or Btu/h, to its electrical power requirement in watts. (a) Convert the EER of 10.0 to dimensionless form, using the conversion 1 Btu 5 1 055 J. (b) What is the appropriate name for this dimensionless quantity? (c) In the 1970s, it was common to find room air conditioners with EERs of 5 or lower. State how the operating costs compare for 10 000-Btu/h air conditioners with EERs of 5.00 and 10.0. Assume each air conditioner operates for 1 500 h during the summer in a city where electricity costs 17.0 per kWh.
Solution
The first step in solving 22 problem number 62 trying to solve the problem we have to refer to the textbook question: In 1993, the U.S. government instituted a requirement that all room air conditioners sold in the United States must have an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 10 or higher. The EER is defined as the ratio of the cooling capacity of the air conditioner, measured in British thermal units per hour, or Btu/h, to its electrical power requirement in watts. (a) Convert the EER of 10.0 to dimensionless form, using the conversion 1 Btu 5 1 055 J. (b) What is the appropriate name for this dimensionless quantity? (c) In the 1970s, it was common to find room air conditioners with EERs of 5 or lower. State how the operating costs compare for 10 000-Btu/h air conditioners with EERs of 5.00 and 10.0. Assume each air conditioner operates for 1 500 h during the summer in a city where electricity costs 17.0 per kWh.
From the textbook chapter Heat Engines, Entropy, and the Second Law of Thermodynamics you will find a few key concepts needed to solve this.
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