Why the temperature goes down when the altitude increases?

Answer 1

As the altitude increases, the pressure decreases, therefore resulting in a drop in temperature.

Think of a pressure cooker. Water boils at 211F, but when under pressure, the boiling point can raise to 250-275, depending on the pressure.

Answer 2

Temperature does not decrease with increase in altitude in the atmosphere as a whole..

The atmosphere can be divided into 4 main regions.. troposphere, stratosphere, mesophere, thermosphere.

In the troposphere, which is the closest to the earth's surface.. the temperature decreases with increase in altitude. This is because this region is nearly transparent to the sun's energy and is instead heated from below, by the earth's surface.

Answer 3

The only source of receiving heat by earth is the sun.

Certainly, the atmosphere as well as the earth must receive the heat from the sun.

If all the heat received from the sun is retained by earth, the temperature will be enormous.

The temperature is maintained low because the earth radiates heat efficiently.

The heat is transferred by three methods conduction, convection and radiation.

These three methods are responsible for the difference of temperature in different altitudes. The fall of temperature due to decrease of pressure is also one of the reasons. Therefore, we cannot attribute only one reason to the effect.

The following web site provides some of the reasons and one can have some knowledge about the variation of temperature with altitude. http://earthsci.org/processes/weather/fundam/fundam.html
http://homepage.mac.com/ms.bearse/2003-2004/SNC2D/Weather/weather-notes.htm

Answer 4

Air is most dense at sea level and is able to hold the most amount of moisture at sea level. Water vapor in the atmosphere is about 99 percent responsible for storing heat energy in the atmosphere. As altitude above the ground increases atmospheric pressure decreases making the air less dense. Since thin air cannot hold as much volume of water vapor as dense air it cannot retain and store as much heat energy. Think of a dry desert region. It may be very hot in the daytime due to ground heating but since the air contains little water vapor it cools rapidly at sunset and can be very cool at night. Since thin, drier air cannot retain heat like dense, more moist air can, the temperature normaly decreases as altitude increases. Being close to the surface does not cuase the higher temperatures. If your on top of a tall mountain your standing on the surface of the earth but the temperature may be freezing even though its August. Temps. do go up once you get above the stratosphere but only if your in the sunlight. If your in darkness temps. are still frigid cold. Since at these altitudes your literaly in the vaccum of space, any objects that are there are exposed to the full effects of the suns radiation.

Answer 5

Dear Navaneet,
The change of temperature with altitude in the atmosphere is known as the lapse rate.
If you assume a mass of gas at the surface of the earth and rising Adiabatically (no heat flow in or out) , then it can be modelled using the gas laws. The rate of temperature change that you calculate is roughly the same as that measured experimentally.

Answer 6

The Relation Between Temperature & Pressure is directly proportional to each other,

Temperature on Earth constitutes from radiation of sun & other sources.These radiations are more on surface and hence creates more pressure which in turn increase temperature of surface.
But when you goes upwards then radiations get more reflexed everywhere as they get scope;hence pressure continues to become weak.This leads to low in temperature.

Answer 7

troposphere which is nearer to the earth has more water vapour, gases, and dust than the upper layer. these absorb heat and the temperature rises. temperature falls at the rate of 0.6 degree C for evty meter above the earths surface. this is the reason.

Answer 8

pressure and temperature are directly linked. Therefore, an increase in altitude will lead to a decrease in pressure and a decrease in pressure will cause a decrease in temperature

Answer 9

the wavelength of the heat rays emitted by the sun cannot be absorbed by the gases in atmosphere.
these rays come and hit the earth but earth can absorb it and earth gets heated
then earth emits this heat outside to the atmosphere this wavelength can be absorbed by the atmosphere
so the air closer to the earth gets heated while only very less radiation reaches the atmosphere as you go higher

simply speaking the atmospheer does not get heated direcly by the sun but by the earth
sun to earth and then earth to atmosphere

PRESSURE HAS GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PARTICULAR PHENOMENON

hope you got it


bye

Answer 10

Sun's heat reaches the earth by radiation. The sun is hot and the receiving object (earth) is hot. The middle space is cool.
So the higher and higher we go, the warmth of earth decreases.
earth is very hot by itself. The miners digging inside know that.
Thats why it is supposed that, earth was a part of Sun once upon a time. It fell apart after the BIG-Bang.The surface is cooling, day by day.