A one-ton air conditioning system provides how many BTU per hour?

A one-ton air conditioning system provides how many BTU per hour?

• A. 6,000 BTU per hour
• B. 12,000 BTU per hour
• C. 1,200 BTU per hour
• D. 24,000 BTU per hour

Answer: (B)

One ton of cooling is defined as the rate of heat removed to melt 1 ton (2000 lb) of ice in 24 hours. The heat needed to melt ice is about 144 BTU per pound, so melting 2000 lb in a day requires 2000 × 144 = 288,000 BTU per day. Dividing by 24 hours gives 12,000 BTU per hour. So a one-ton system provides 12,000 BTU/hr. The other options correspond to different overall capacities (half-ton, tenth-ton, or two-ton). If you need to convert, multiply the tons by 12,000.

One ton of cooling is defined as the rate of heat removed to melt 1 ton (2000 lb) of ice in 24 hours. The heat needed to melt ice is about 144 BTU per pound, so melting 2000 lb in a day requires 2000 × 144 = 288,000 BTU per day. Dividing by 24 hours gives 12,000 BTU per hour. So a one-ton system provides 12,000 BTU/hr. The other options correspond to different overall capacities (half-ton, tenth-ton, or two-ton). If you need to convert, multiply the tons by 12,000.