What does a heat pump do?

Moves heat from one place to another

What does a COP of 3 mean?

Three units of heat per unit of electricity

Heat Pump Quiz: Moving Heat Uphill to Warm Homes

This heat pump quiz explores how homes can be warmed by cold air. Play 10 interactive questions on moving heat rather than making it, a refrigerant that evaporates and condenses, the compressor, why a fridge is a kind of heat pump, coefficient of performance, air-source and ground-source systems, reversing to cool in summer and why efficiency drops in very cold weather.

Start Heat Pump Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Move
What does a heat pump do?
Cold
Can a heat pump extract heat from cold outdoor air?
Fluid
What circulates inside a heat pump?
Comp
Which part squeezes the refrigerant gas and heats it?
Fridge
Which kitchen appliance is a type of heat pump?
COP
What does a COP of 3 mean?
Ground
Which type takes heat from underground pipes?
Air
Which type uses an outdoor unit with a fan?
Cool
What else can many heat pumps do?
Very
What happens to efficiency in very cold weather?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What does a heat pump do?
Answer: Moves heat from one place to another
It works like a fridge in reverse.
Q2: Can a heat pump extract heat from cold outdoor air?
Answer: Yes, even below freezing
Cold air still holds heat.
Q3: What circulates inside a heat pump?
Answer: A refrigerant
It evaporates and condenses.
Q4: Which part squeezes the refrigerant gas and heats it?
Answer: The compressor
It uses electricity.
Q5: Which kitchen appliance is a type of heat pump?
Answer: Refrigerator
It moves heat out of the box.
Q6: What does a COP of 3 mean?
Answer: Three units of heat per unit of electricity
Coefficient of performance.
Q7: Which type takes heat from underground pipes?
Answer: Ground-source heat pump
Ground temperature is steady.
Q8: Which type uses an outdoor unit with a fan?
Answer: Air-source heat pump
It is the most common type.
Q9: What else can many heat pumps do?
Answer: Cool homes in summer
A valve reverses the flow.
Q10: What happens to efficiency in very cold weather?
Answer: It drops
There is less heat to move.

Pumping Heat Uphill

A heat pump warms a home by moving heat rather than making it. It extracts heat from outdoor air, the ground or water and pumps it indoors, even when it is below freezing outside, because cold air still holds heat. A refrigerator works the same way, moving heat out of the box.

Inside, a refrigerant evaporates as it absorbs heat outside, then a compressor squeezes the gas, raising its temperature, and it releases heat indoors as it condenses. Efficiency is measured by the coefficient of performance: a COP of 3 means three units of heat for every unit of electricity.

Air-source heat pumps use an outdoor unit with a fan and are the most common type, while ground-source systems take heat from pipes buried underground, where temperatures stay steady. Many heat pumps can reverse to cool homes in summer. Efficiency drops in very cold weather, as there is less heat to move.

What This Quiz Teaches

Science fans will enjoy these questions.

What heat pumps do
How refrigerant works
What COP means
Which types exist
How cold affects them

Did You Know?

Defrost cycles clear ice from outdoor units.
Heat pumps can heat water too.
Good insulation boosts their benefit.
Some use water from lakes.
They are often paired with underfloor heating.