The document discusses refrigeration and vapor compression refrigeration cycles. It defines refrigeration as maintaining temperatures below the surrounding atmosphere using cyclic processes. A vapor compression refrigeration cycle involves compressing a refrigerant vapor, condensing it to a liquid in a condenser while rejecting heat, expanding the liquid which causes it to evaporate or boil while absorbing heat, and evaporating the refrigerant in an evaporator to produce the cooling effect. The coefficient of performance is used to measure the efficiency of refrigerators and heat pumps. Common refrigerants and their desirable properties are also outlined.