One ton of refrigeration is equal to __________.

One ton of refrigeration is defined as the amount of heat absorbed to melt one ton (2,000 pounds) of ice at 32°F in a 24-hour period. This process requires an input of 288,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units) of energy. When this value is divided by the number of hours in a day, which is 24, it results in 12,000 BTUs per hour. This standard measurement is widely used in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry to express cooling capacity. Hence, the correct answer reflects the established conversion between tons of refrigeration and BTUs per hour, which supports accurate calculations and design considerations in refrigeration and cooling systems.