why does it get cooler the higher we go?

Answer 1

See the barometric formula in
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/barfor.html

Answer 2

patois has it right. Heat is the energy of the particles in a system--including a system of air. "Cool" or "cold" is technically the absence of heat energy. Well, at higher altitudes, there are fewer air particles to be energetic. So a given volume of air at a higher altitude will have a lower temp than a similar volume of air near the ground. Well, okay unless one takes a volume of air from the ground in someplace like antarctica. then it's just plain "cold" no matter which volume is used.

Answer 3

As we go up (increase the altitude) the air gets lighter ( less dense) so air pressure reduces. According to Gas equation of chemistry PV=nRT, i.e. Pressure is directly proportional to the temperature. So as pressure decreases, so the temperature.

Also see that the lowr layers of air are close to earth, so they get heated by the earth surface. as well as the sunlight, but up & up no surface only sunlight, that too not available after dayslight. Also the less dense air is less prone to heating by sun.

Answer 4

The air is thinner and you're moving away from the radiational heating effect of the Earth from the Sun.

Answer 5

seventy five% of the earth occupied with water. the water gets evoporated by sunlilght. During this process heat is exhausted obsorbing the coolness of the water. whereas the evoporated water foms the clouds comporising of water particles occuping the space.

Answer 6

Less molecules in the atmosphere to bee-bop around and heat things up.

Answer 7

The air is thinner so it doesn't retain heat as well.