In a refrigeration system, the refrigerant enters the condenser as a

In a refrigeration system, the refrigerant enters the condenser as a

• A. Low-pressure liquid
• B. Low-pressure vapor
• C. High-pressure liquid
• D. High-pressure vapor

Answer: (D)

In the refrigeration cycle, the compressor increases the refrigerant’s pressure and temperature, turning it into a high-pressure vapor. The condenser’s job is to reject heat and condense that vapor into a liquid. So the refrigerant entering the condenser must be in the vapor state and at high pressure. The other states don’t fit: low-pressure vapor would be upstream of the compressor, low-pressure liquid would have already expanded or cooled before compression, and high-pressure liquid would be the state after condensation, not before it.

In the refrigeration cycle, the compressor increases the refrigerant’s pressure and temperature, turning it into a high-pressure vapor. The condenser’s job is to reject heat and condense that vapor into a liquid. So the refrigerant entering the condenser must be in the vapor state and at high pressure. The other states don’t fit: low-pressure vapor would be upstream of the compressor, low-pressure liquid would have already expanded or cooled before compression, and high-pressure liquid would be the state after condensation, not before it.