The working principle of refrigerator is based on the

The working principle of a refrigerator is fundamentally based on the second law of thermodynamics. While the first law addresses energy conservation, the second law dictates the direction of heat flow and the necessity of external work for refrigeration. Specifically, the Clausius statement of the second law asserts that heat cannot spontaneously flow from a colder body to a hotter body without an external agency. A refrigerator operates as a heat pump, using a refrigerant to absorb heat from a low-temperature interior and releasing it into the warmer surroundings [2]. This process requires work input (usually electrical) to reverse the natural spontaneous flow of heat, a requirement explicitly mandated by the second law of thermodynamics to maintain the cooling cycle. Other laws like Planck's or Rayleigh-Jeans relate to radiation and are not the primary operating principles of refrigeration [1].

Sources

1. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump_and_refrigeration_cycle
2. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Solar Radiation, Heat Balance and Temperature > INVERSION OF TEMPERATURE > p. 73