How many tons does a home air-conditioner rated at 24,000 BTUs in one hour represent?

To determine how many tons a home air-conditioner rated at 24,000 BTUs in one hour represents, it is essential to understand the relationship between BTUs and tons of refrigeration. One ton of refrigeration is defined as the ability to remove 12,000 BTUs of heat per hour.

Starting with this definition, if you divide the total BTUs by the BTUs per ton, you can find the number of tons. In this case, 24,000 BTUs divided by 12,000 BTUs per ton equals 2 tons.

Thus, a home air-conditioner rated at 24,000 BTUs in one hour effectively represents a cooling capacity of 2 tons. This direct calculation highlights why the correct answer is linked to the specific understanding of tonnage in relation to refrigeration.