what happens to the temperature of a parcel of rising air? why?

Question

i know hot air rises, and that currents come in warm and cool temperatures, but something happens to make it change in temp, i think it maybe gyres but i'm not sure and i can't find a decent explanation, so your help will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Any parcel of air which rises the change in temperature takes place due to "Adiabatic Lapse Rate"
Lapse rates are of two types:
1. DALR(dry adiabatic lapse rate) : when a dry parcel of air is made to rise its temperature falls at a rate of 10degrees for every 1Km of ascent. i.e. DALR = 10degrees/Km
2. SALR(saturated adiabatic lapse rate) : When a saturated parcel of air is made to rise its temperature falls at a rate of 5degrees for every 1Km of ascent. i.e. SALR= 5degrees/Km

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

The temperature of a molecule is nothing more than the measure of how fast the atoms and molecules of a substance are moving.

Heat is an energy (like sound) that passes around between molecules.
For instance there might be a group of molecules that are moving around very quickly, like a hot apple pie. Eventually they will crash into the molecules of the plate that the pie is on, and the plate also will get hot.

It's not unlike if you picture pool balls bouncing around. One ball might hit another and the energy (in this case heat) is transferred to the next ball. The first ball's energy is decreased, and the second ball moves faster now.

Of course with air, and the atmosphere, you must picture ohhhhh... about a bazillion pool balls all going crazy at the same time, being affected by every match that is lit, and every ice tea that is poured. It's amazing there is even a pattern to it at all!

Answer 3

If you look at the smoke rising from a cigarette you will see a period of laminar or streamlined flow with little mixing as the hot smoke gathers velocity. It then turns turbulent, random eddies form and the smoke mixes with surrounding air and is cooled and dispersed.