Heat sinks and heat exchangers serve different functions in thermal management. A heat sink is typically a specific object designed to dissipate heat, often made of metal with fins, while the term can also refer more generally to anything that absorbs or dissipates heat. In contrast, a heat exchanger is a device that transfers heat between two fluids or mediums. For instance, in an engineering context, a heat exchanger may consist of a shell filled with water through which another stream of water flows, with the water absorbing heat acting as the heat sink. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for effective thermal management in various applications.
