What keeps the atmosphere from escaping into space?

Answer 1

The air in our atmosphere is heavy. We are just used to it. There's a science experiment where you weigh a vacuum jar before the air is pulled out and after. The jar is about gallon-sized, and it weighs a few grams less with the air out.
Also, the air pressure we are under on earth is 14.7 pounds per square inch. That means your body is holding up about 600 pounds of atmosphere. Unless you are laying flat. Then it goes way up.
The atmosphere can't float off any more than water can fly out of the oceans.

Answer 2

The short answer is gravity. The atmosphere extends to about 560km (348miles) above the earth`s surface. The gasses that make up the earths atmosphere (78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% Other) all have weight the gravity of the earth acts on this weight to pull them to the surface, additionally the weight of the gasses higher in the atmosphere compress the gasses at lower in the atmosphere. At sea level the atmosphere has a pressure of 14.7 psi.

Answer 3

The force of gravity from the Earth on each particle of gas in the atmosphere is keeping the gas from escaping into space.

Answer 4

the quick answer might look gravity, yet that's incomplete. Atmospheric gas molecules are in consistent action. The Earth's gravity does certainly seize and carry onto people who don't have sufficient velocity to flee (for Earth: 11.2 km/s) and wreck the bonds of gravity. one way this performed, interior the better atmosphere, is heating from image voltaic radiation. It outcomes the lighter factors and molecules first. The heavier (mass) a molecule has (Oxygen vs. Hydrogen) the greater capability it takes for it to realize get away velocity. clearly, collisions between molecules tend to retard their velocity. that's subsequently harder for gases interior the denser decrease atmosphere to realize get away velocity. different forms of cosmic radiation could additionally effect and wreck aside gas molecules interior the ambience. The capability of such impacts may be transferred to the lighter broken areas of the molecule and particular boost up it to flee velocity. that's that this technique that explains why small, warmer bodies which incorporate Mercury or the Moon have merely approximately no detectable atmosphere, whilst greater advantageous, greater huge bodies like Venus, Earth, Mars, and specially the gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn have denser atmospheres. notice that the latter are colder and greater huge (greater advantageous gravity) a have deeper and denser atmospheres. that's gravity and molecular capability stages that outline an atmosphere around a planet.

Answer 5

Our atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surround Earth.

It is kept in place by the pull of Earth's gravity.

If Earth was a much smaller planet, like Mercury or Pluto, its gravity would be to weak to hold a large atmosphere.

Answer 6

The Gravity sustains the atmosphere on the Earth, that's why we'd die if there was no gravity because there would be nothing to support the atmosphere.

Answer 7

gravity holds the atmosphere down

Answer 8

Gravity and the magnetic field

Answer 9

Earth's MAGNETIC FIELD, this also protects the planet from all types of harmful elements from space.

Answer 10

Hmm, maybe OZONE LAYER.... Thats why we are gettng warmer and warmer, our atrmosphere escapes through the ozone when it's not there to shield us. It is like a big forcefield around our earth.