What is the capacity of a refrigeration system that absorbs 800 BTUs per minute?

To determine the capacity of a refrigeration system in tons based on its BTU absorption, it’s important to know the conversion factor between BTUs and tons. One ton of refrigeration capacity is defined as the ability to remove 12,000 BTUs of heat in one hour.

When we analyze the system that absorbs 800 BTUs per minute, we first convert the absorption rate from minutes to hours to make it compatible with the ton conversion:

800 BTUs/minute × 60 minutes/hour = 48,000 BTUs/hour.

Now, we can convert the BTUs per hour into tons:

48,000 BTUs/hour ÷ 12,000 BTUs/ton = 4 tons.

This calculation shows that the system has a capacity of 4 tons, which aligns with the correct choice in the context of the question. Understanding this conversion is crucial for evaluating refrigeration capacities, as it provides the necessary relationship between BTUs and tonnage to assess various refrigeration systems' effectiveness.