How does a heat pump provide heating during the winter?

A heat pump provides heating during the winter by extracting heat from the outside air. Even in colder temperatures, there is still some thermal energy available in the air outside. The heat pump utilizes a refrigerant that absorbs this ambient heat. The refrigerant is then compressed to increase its temperature and released indoors, providing warm air for heating. This process is efficient because it moves existing heat rather than generating heat by burning fuel or using electric resistance.

Choosing an option that states generating heat from electricity does not describe the heat-extraction method used by heat pumps. Similarly, transferring heat from indoors to outdoors is a function of the cooling mode of a heat pump during summer. Burning fossil fuels is not characteristic of heat pump operation; heat pumps are designed to be energy-efficient alternatives to fossil fuel heating systems. Therefore, the ability of a heat pump to extract heat from the outside air, even in winter, is what allows it to effectively provide heating indoors.