why does air rise at the equator and sinks near the poles?

Answer 1

The rising and falling of air is based on Convection Currents.

The basic principle behind Convection Currents is that as air heats up it expands, becoming less dense. Less dense air will then rise because it is "lighter".

This air will eventually cool off in the atmosphere. It will then come back together, be more dense, and sink. The constant flow of heated and cooled air is called a convection current.

This works with water as well. That is why your boiling water seems to travel in a circular pattern in the pot.

Truthfully, air rises and sinks all over the world at any given time, not just at the poles or equator.

We see it at the beach where the sand heats up faster than the water. The air over the sand heats up quickly, expands and rises. Since air is always all around us and we can't have a vacuum, the cooler, denser air over the ocean rushes in to take the place of the hot air. This is called a sea breeze!

Trust me on this, I'm a science teacher.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

The first two answers are correct; hot air rises. In the atmosphere, it's a little more complicated than this because of the Earth's rotation. Air rises at the equator and sinks at the poles, but it also sinks near latitudes 30 degrees north and south. That's why all the world's big deserts are near these latitudes; sinking air doesn't release any rain. And it rises in temperate latitudes in the middle of the depressions which give us rain in places like Europe, America and NZ. So each hemisphere has three convection cells, not just one.

Answer 3

Warm air rises and cold air sinks. The poles are cold and the equator is hot. Weather patterns are much more complicated but that is the simple answer.

Answer 4

Warm air rises and cold air falls. Same reason your basement is cooler than your attic.