What is the capacity of a 10-ton refrigeration unit when expressed in BTUs?

A 10-ton refrigeration unit is a measure commonly used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to indicate cooling capacity. The conversion is based on the fact that one ton of refrigeration is equivalent to the ability to remove 12,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units) of heat per hour.

To determine the total capacity of a 10-ton refrigeration unit, you multiply the tonnage by the amount of cooling capacity per ton. Thus, for a 10-ton unit:

10 tons x 12,000 BTUs per ton = 120,000 BTUs per hour.

Now, when expressed in minutes, you would convert this hourly rate to a per-minute rate by dividing by 60 (as there are 60 minutes in an hour):

120,000 BTUs per hour ÷ 60 minutes = 2,000 BTUs per minute.

Therefore, the correct answer is that a 10-ton refrigeration unit has a capacity of 2,000 BTUs per minute. The other options present alternative metrics that do not accurately represent the established conversion from tons to BTUs, either by providing incorrect time frames or incorrect multipliers.