Forum 10PHYS 1401Using the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, explain how an air conditioner is able to deliver cold air when it is hot outside. Include a brief explanation of the refrigeration cycle. The second law states that heat naturally flows from regions of higher temperature to regions of lower temperature, and that it will not flow the other way, naturally. However, heat can be forced to flow from a colder region to a hotter region, which is what happens in an air conditioner or refrigerator. Air conditioners and refrigerators are designed to remove heat from a cold region and transfer it to a hot region, whereis then cooled to a temperature lower than its surroundings. Essentially, refrigerators and air conditioners function as a heat engine operating in reverse. The refrigeration cycle begins with the refrigerant coming into the compressor as a low-pressure gas, being compressed and then moving out of the compressor as a high-pressure gas. The gas then flows to the condenser, is condensed into a liquid, and gives off its heat to the outside air. The liquid then moves to the expansion valve under high pressure, where the flow of the fluid is restricted, and lowers its pressure as it leaves the expansion valve. The low-pressure liquid then moves to the evaporator, where heat from the inside air is absorbed and changes it from a liquid to a gas. As a hot low-pressure gas, the refrigerant moves to the compressor where the entire cycle is