If heat rises why does it get cold on the top of a mountain?

Question

It's a fact that heat rises yet it snows on the top of a mountain. Why?

Answer 1

There are two main sources of heat on the Earth. The first obvious one is the Sun. The second is the Earth itself. The ground holds the heat from the Sun, but also, radioactive decay within the Earth produces massive amounts of heat. Most of the heat on the Earth comes from within it. Because most of the heat comes from the ground itself, as you get farther away from it, it gets colder.

Answer 2

Heat is a form of energy, it is not matter. In hot fluids, (gases and liquids), the molecules are farther apart and less dense, making them more buoyant. They rise to to top of the fluid to a point where they have equal buoyancy with the fluid. Try this: You need two glasses that are the same size with the same size mouth. Put warm water in one glass, (to the top), and add food coloring. In the second glass add cold water to the top. If you cover the top with stiff paper, you should be able to turn it upside down, the paper will hold the water in, (another question). Put the cold water glass on top of the warm water glass. Pull the paper out and the cold water will sink to the bottom and the hot will flow to the top. Do this over a sink in case of spills. You may have to practice a few times.

It is the warm water that rises because it is less dense than the cold water. Heat doesn't rise, only hot matter. On top of a mountain there is less air to absorb heat from the sun and because the land is not flat, the sun's rays are more spread out.

Answer 3

The temperature drops about 1º Farenheit for every 1000 feet of altitude. If a mountain is 14,000 feet high, that is a drop of 14º Farenheit. Since the higher you go the harder the wind blows and as wind chill is 1º Farenheit for every knot of wind, it's easy to see that a 16 Knot wind at 14,000 feet would result in a temperature drop of 30º Farenheit... (14º + 16º)

If it's 62º at the base of that mountain, it would be freezing (32º)at the summit.

Answer 4

I know yhis answer perfectly
as the temperature rises the warmness in the air at the earths surface is lossed and the air becomes light so this air moves upwards and at the mountains it is cooler

Answer 5

Yes, heat rises. Heat is a byproduct of the interaction between molecules. The heated air expands as it rises. This expansion cools the air because it is under less pressure and there is less interaction between the air molecules.

Answer 6

because as the air rises,it cools(re-occuring)
Also,mountain peeks are usually above clouds.........u see because of this,no heat is trapped at the top of the mountain by clouds.all the heat is radiated.

Answer 7

Hot air does not rise hotter air rises but it cools as the pressure drops with altitude. Now you can figure out why it is hot in the deserts.

Answer 8

Because Santa Claus is on the mountain and he needs the snow and stuff.

Answer 9

The earth surface holds the heat. As you travel away from the earth, you travel away from the heat sponge. The air gets thinner and colder.

Answer 10

Also, due to the weakening of the earth gravitational pull, the air at that altitude moves far more freely creating low pressure. Low pressure causes low temperature