If hot air rises, why are the tops of mountains always covered in snow. Even where it is a really warm climate, the mountains in that area are still covered in snow! How does that make sence.. please explain!
2006-08-03 16:25:32 · 6 answers · asked by Becky 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
by the time the hot air rises a little it gets cooled.as you go higher and higher the temp drops at a particular rate with height.above say 5000 m the temperature is so low that the water freezes and becomes ice and that is why mountains of great height are known as snow capped mountains.as you go higher the atmosphere becomes thin and the heat reflected from the earth doesn't reach that height with the same intensity
2006-08-03 17:40:06 · answer #1 · answered by raj 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hot air rises up within certain altitudes only. The pressure of atmospheric air decreases as the altitude increases. The air in the higher altitude are loosely packed with air molecule when compared to that of the lower altitude. As the air in the higher altitude is loosely packed, the molecules of the air need not spend much energy (heat energy) for its movement. eg. if you are entangled in big and dense crowd of people, you have to exert some energy to come out it or to move within it. Like wise, the air molecules in the lower altitude (densely packed) are exerting heat energy for its movement within this lower altitude.
Thus, either the heated air molecules rise up to higher altitude or air molecules retaining their energy (as heat) remain in the higher altitude. I hope, now you understand why the air temperature in the higher altitude is low.
2006-08-04 01:32:37 · answer #2 · answered by K.J. Jeyabaskaran K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mountain tops are in thin air. Since heat is the vibration of air molecules, they don't bump off of each other as much, so they give off less energy (heat).
2006-08-04 00:02:57 · answer #3 · answered by nursesr4evr 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
heat rises,but as it moves upward it expands and expansion is a cooling process,, as the air molecule move apart the friction around them decreases. less rubbing less heat... hah cold mountain tops. expansion is why your refrig gets cooler.
2006-08-03 23:35:22 · answer #4 · answered by wizard 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
with increase in altitude the pressure drops, and air molecules have lesser friction(entropy) amongst themselves as they have more space for motion. hence the air becomes cooler at high altitude.
2006-08-04 00:09:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As air rises it cools.
2006-08-03 23:30:13 · answer #6 · answered by eric l 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋