Which property is considered desirable in a refrigerant?

High latent heat is a desirable property in a refrigerant because it indicates that the refrigerant can absorb and release a significant amount of heat per unit mass during the phase change from liquid to vapor or vice versa. This quality allows refrigerants to efficiently transfer heat in cooling applications, enhancing the performance of refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

When a refrigerant has high latent heat, it can effectively cool a space by absorbing more heat from the environment without requiring a large change in temperature. This aspect is crucial for maintaining energy efficiency and performance in various cooling systems. Additionally, high latent heat contributes to the system's ability to operate effectively over a wide range of temperatures and provides better temperature control.

In contrast, other properties like low specific heat and low operating temperature may not provide the desired level of efficiency in heat transfer, while high thermal conductivity is beneficial but not as critical as latent heat for a refrigerant's performance.