ligosan t1_j67c673 wrote
Cold air is a lot denser, as the particles that make it up move less. So, hot air gets pushed upwards, as it moves more. Think of it as a person trying to move through a crowd.
Hotness is kinetic energy that's been transferred as heat. If you move a lot, you get hot and sweat, but you stay still, you cool down. There's no active movement in the upper atmosphere, so naturally, it gets cold.
amatulic t1_j67cqz9 wrote
Actually there's a lot of movement at higher altitudes. You don't have to climb very high on a mountain to notice the temperature drop.
Temperature and pressure are related. If you pressurize air, it heats up. If you reduce the pressure, it cools down. Higher altitudes are lower in atmospheric pressure.
ligosan t1_j67e4oq wrote
Thanks for the correction :)
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