A heat pump extracts 7.0 × 10⁶ J of heat per hour from a well at 280 K and delivers its output heat into a house at 320 K. If the heat pump uses an ideal Carnot cycle in its operation, what minimum work must be supplied to the heat pump per hour?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The work done by a Carnot heat pump is given by W = Q_c * (T_h - T_c) / T_c, where Q_c is the heat extracted, T_h is the temperature of the hot reservoir, and T_c is the temperature of the cold reservoir. Substituting the given values, W = 7.0 × 10^6 J * (320 K - 280 K) / 280 K = 1.0 × 10^6 J.

A Heat Pump Extracts 7