What is the primary purpose of a centrifugal pump?

• A. To move liquid from high or low elevation or high or low pressure
• B. To increase the liquid's viscosity
• C. To filter solids from the liquid
• D. To heat the liquid

Answer: (A)

The main idea is moving liquids by adding energy to them. A centrifugal pump does this by using a rapidly spinning impeller to transfer mechanical energy from a motor into the fluid, creating a pressure rise (head) and increased flow. This pressure push lets the liquid be moved from where it’s at to higher elevations or into parts of the system with higher pressure. The pump isn’t changing the liquid’s viscosity, nor is it a filter or a heater. Filtering removes solids; increasing viscosity would require changing the fluid itself, not just pumping it; heating would require a heat source or heat transfer, which isn’t the pump’s purpose.