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How does an air conditioner actually work? - Anna Rothschild

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TEDEd Animation

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Typically, with any piece of technology, you pump one unit of energy in and you get about one out. That’s just the first law of thermodynamics: energy has to be conserved. But there’s a piece of technology called a heat pump, where for every bit of energy you put in, you get three to five times as much heat out. What wizardry is this? Anna Rothschild investigates the science of heat pumps.

What is the efficiency of some heat pumps compared to typical oil or gas boilers?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Anna Rothschild
  • Director Kevin Herrmann, AIM Creative Studios
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
  • Storyboard Artist Kevin Herrmann
  • Illustrator Kevin Herrmann
  • Animator Kevin Herrmann, Jorge Ramos, Daniela Carvalho, André Cunha
  • Art Director Kevin Herrmann
  • Composer André Aires
  • Sound Designer André Aires
  • AIM Creative Studios Producer Tiago Ribeiro, Daniela Carvalho
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Producer Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Fact-Checker Charles Wallace

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