Can you cool a kitchen by leaving the refrigerator door open while the refrigerator is operating? a. No. Since the refrigerator is operating, the “heat pump” transfers thermal energy from the inside of the refrigerator to the outside of the refrigerator which is presumably in the same room. Since this process is not 100% efficient due to the second law, the average temperature of the room will increase over time. b. No. Since the refrigerator is operating, the “heat pump” transfers thermal energy from the inside of the refrigerator to the outside of the refrigerator which is presumably in the same room. Due to the second law, there will be no change in temperature due to the perfect efficiency of the heat pump.