On a hot summer day, a man who had no air conditioning decided that he would cool off his home by leaving the door to his refrigerator open. Does he succeed in cooling off his home?
Answer
No. All a refrigerator does is take heat from inside the unit and pump it to the back. So doing an energy balance would lead to the conclusion that no cooling overall takes place. Further investigation revealed that the home would actually heat up since refrigerators need an electric motor to operate. This would generate additional heat, making the home hotter.
