what is the exact reason for low temperature at high altitudes?

Answer 1

Temperature varies with altitude due to a complex balance between pressure, radiation, and photochemical processes.

It is important to remember that temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of the air. Thus the average free path between collisions and the nature of the collisions (elastic or reactive) directly affect the temperature as well as the energy flow.

The atmosphere can be thought of as a series of roughly spherical regions or shells.

Troposphere. (0 km to 10 km) The lowest shell is the region of water vapor, clouds, and all of our weather. It extends from sea level up to about 18 km at the equator or about 8 km at the poles. This is a zone of turbulence and rapid mixing. Localized surface heating, topographic rises, and water phase changes, all cause significant changes in atmospheric temperature and pressure called weather. However, the most significant effects are primarily due to gravity. Because of this, the temperature, pressure, and density generally decrease with altitude.

Answer 2

Temperature At High Altitude

Answer 3

High altitudes have low air pressure, low air mass per volume. High temperature is really the available energy increasing the motion of the air molecules. If there are few molecules to put in motion the temperature stays low even when the energy level is high, there simply isn't the mass of molecules to be "energized." In earth orbit the temperature outside the space craft is low, the term is really meaningless, but space craft must be rotated to keep from over heating on the sun side.

Answer 4

Here is the correct answer......

Air is made up of various gasses. The more you compress a gas (higher pressure) the higher the temperature of the gas as long as the volume remains unchanged. The atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, therefore, the temperature decreases.

The temperature does increase when you reach the tropopause. This is due to the ozone layer. The ozone chemically reacts with UV light to produce heat which warms the atmosphere.

Answer 5

Low atmospheric pressure at high altitudes results in a lack of global warming at those altitudes. Temperatures in deep space are extremely frigid.

Answer 6

The air is thinner at high altitudes, thinner air holds less heat. It has nothing to do with the distance from the sun. The difference in distance from the sun between someone in death valley and someone on top of mount Everest, is like an ant on or off of a sheet of paper under the lights (sun), of a football stadium.

Answer 7

Vapour trails (contrails) are formed when the water content of the exhaust gases freezes in the air. This happens above the 'mintra' level, a height at which water converts to ice crystals. Watching from the ground your height perception may not have been accurate. So when the planes were passing by, some may have been below the mintra level, hence no contrails.

Answer 8

The air at sea level is like a blanket holding heat in.

Higher altitudes have less air pressure, and therefore less insulation capabilities.

Answer 9

Temperature does decrease with height...BUT up to a point..then then heat of the sun dominates..making it much warmer.

Answer 10

The higher you go the air becomes thinner, which in turn makes it colder.