Heat rises, so why is there snow on the top of some mountains?

Answer 1

heat technically speaking, does not rise. heat energy travels from area of high energy to an area of low energy (think about how heatsinks work). it's just convient to say it rises.

The reason why it's colder the higher you go is beacuse the pressure is less and the heat energy is more spread out. therefore the tempreture goes down.

both are covered by two of the three law of thermodynamics, not sure which ones exactly. it's been a while.

Answer 2

Haven't you noticed how mountains are thinner at the top than the bottom? When the heat rises it goes zooming straight up, right past the mountains which are in a bit of a draught anyway from being so pointystickyouty (just like your toes in the winter when the covers slip off).

All that heat boils the blue of the sky (which as we know is just reflected water) and makes steam which wafts about a bit, hits the cold mountains and makes snow.

Answer 3

Remember, it is always windy and cool on the mountains. Heat does melt most of the snow capped mountains but not all of it. Right now the sea is rising due to that very fact.

One of the reason the snow has not dissapated altogether is that the heat does not stop and congregate around the top of the mountain. It simply keeps ascending.

Answer 4

Heat rises because it has a lower density than the cooler denser air above it. Just like a balloon full of air in water. Higher altitudes are generally cooler because they are further away from the heat gathering mass of the earth. Also, with the air pressure in part being determined by it's thickness, the pressure is lower at altitude. If you take an air sample and lower it's pressure, it will become cooler.

Answer 5

Air parcels will rise as long as they remain warmer than surrounding air at the same altitude. However, rising air cools due to expansion. In fact, rising air typically cools faster the surrounding temperatures decrease with height. Overall temperatures in the troposphere fall with height because (1) the sun heats the surface which heats the air and (2) rising air cools very quickly as it expands...it expands because pressure falls with height - a situation sustained by gravity.

Answer 6

First, there is the whole thing about the air being thinner the higher up you go, but you have to remember that gravity also plays it's role with the snow.

Answer 7

Because of the different layers of the atmosphere. The higher into the sky you go, the less gravity and more pressure builds creating snow on mountans.

Answer 8

Hot air = Air Molecules that are heated.....as they rise the air gets thinner, so they spread out and cool down. Simple, I learned that in 3rd grade.......

Answer 9

because heat rises from land to air and as it reaches the higher layers, it loses it's kinetic molecular energy and becomes cooler.

Answer 10

Higher the altitude the lower the temperature.Highest temperatures are normally below sea level!