What happens to the refrigerant in the evaporator?

In the evaporator, the refrigerant undergoes a critical process of heat absorption and phase change. As refrigerant enters the evaporator, it is typically in a low-pressure liquid state. The primary function of the evaporator is to absorb heat from the surrounding environment—typically from the air or fluid that needs to be cooled.

When this heat is absorbed, the refrigerant begins to evaporate, transitioning from a liquid into a gas. This phase change is key because it effectively removes heat from the space being cooled, allowing for a cooling effect to occur. The ability of the refrigerant to absorb heat while evaporating is what enables air conditioning and refrigeration systems to function efficiently.

The other options do not accurately describe the process occurring in the evaporator. For instance, condensing into a liquid refers to what happens in the condenser, while losing pressure and temperature is generally not a direct result of the process in the evaporator—rather, the refrigerant absorbs heat and thus increases in temperature. Filtering and recycling are actions not associated with the fundamental role of the evaporator.