why does it get colder the higher up you go (on mountains and such) please, a specific physical explenation?

Answer 1

At higher altitudes there is less atmosphere or air molecules.
Temperature is a measure of the kinetic energy of molecules. Less air molecules means less total energy and thus a lower temperature.

Answer 2

The answer lies in the Ideal Gas Law: Pv=nRT

If you hold volume constant as well as atmospheric composition, you can say that pressure is proportional to temperature. Since gravity pulls the gases of the atmosphere towards the surface and since pressure is a function of the am out of air above a given point, pressure decreases with height. Since presses decreases with height, or previous relation says that temperature also decreases with height.

However, there are two layers in the atmosphere where this doesn't hold true: the stratosphere and the thermosphere. In those layers, temperature increases with height due to the absorption of energy from UV and high energy rays from the sun. The the thermosphere, oxygen is the primary absorbing gas while ozone is the primary absorbing gas in the stratosphere.

Answer 3

The troposphere, in which mountains exist, is named after two Greek words tropos, meaning to turn, and spheros. So this lowest layer of the atmosphere is one which turns over due to convective heating. In doing so a lapse rate is created in the troposphere in which the temperature decreases with altitude. Were this "turning" not present the atmosphere would cool much more rapidly than it does. Finally, any time you go up in the atmosphere whether it be on a balloon, a plane, or up a mountain you will notice this drop in temperature.

Answer 4

Because atmosphere is heated from the bottom(ie from the ground surface) as it is transparent to the direct the sun's rays which means it is not directly heated.The solar radiation is a short wave radiation which the atmosphere cannot absorb whereas it can absorb and get heated by the long wave radiation reflected by the earth's surface.So heat is transmitted from below.