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Chapter 5: Problem 35

In winter, the amount of internal energy a heat pump delivers to a house is greater than the electrical energy it uses. Does this violate the law of conservation of energy? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Explain. Answer: No, the heat pump does not violate the law of conservation of energy. This is because the heat pump transfers heat from a colder place (outside) to a warmer place (indoors) by utilizing electrical energy to drive the process. The total energy remains constant, as the heat pump is only converting and transferring energy, not creating any additional energy.

Step by step solution

01

Law of conservation of energy

The law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but can only be converted from one form to another. In any process, the total energy remains constant.
02

Understanding a heat pump

A heat pump is a device that transfers heat energy from a source of heat to a destination called a "heat sink." Heat pumps move thermal energy in the opposite direction of spontaneous heat transfer, which is by absorbing heat from a cold space and releasing it to a warmer one.
03

Heat pump's energy efficiency

The heat pump's efficiency is typically measured by its Coefficient of Performance (COP), which is the ratio of the heat energy delivered to the house to the electrical energy consumed by the heat pump. A heat pump can have a COP greater than 1, meaning that it delivers more heat energy to the house than the electrical energy it consumes.
04

Does this violate the law of conservation of energy?

No, this does not violate the law of conservation of energy. The heat pump delivers more internal energy to the house than the electrical energy it consumes because it is transferring heat from the colder outdoors to the warmer indoors, using the electrical energy to drive this process. The total energy (heat extracted from outside plus electrical energy consumed) remains constant during this process. The heat pump is merely converting and transferring energy, not creating any additional energy.

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