Why does air pressure decrease as you go up?
3 min read
Asked by: Nathan Lambert
At higher elevations, there are fewer air molecules above a given surface than a similar surface at lower levels. For example, there are fewer molecules above the 50 km surface than are found above the 12 km surface, which is why the pressure is less at 50 km.
Why does air pressure decrease as you go higher?
As altitude increases, the amount of gas molecules in the air decreases—the air becomes less dense than air nearer to sea level. This is what meteorologists and mountaineers mean by “thin air.” Thin air exerts less pressure than air at a lower altitude.
Does pressure decrease as you go up?
Atmospheric pressure decreases with increases in altitude. As we know that the density of air becomes heavier near the surface of the earth (due to gravity) and begins to lighten as we go to higher altitudes and eventually leads to empty space, i.e. outside the atmosphere of the earth.
What happens to air pressure when you go up to the atmosphere?
The pressure exerted by the air in the atmosphere is greater close to Earth’s surface and decreases as you go higher above the surface.
Why does atmospheric pressure decrease as you go higher in altitude on earth quizlet?
Air pressure is strongest near the surface because more air molecules are above you (and pushing on you). As you move higher there is less air molecules pushing on you and therefore as you go up the air pressure decreases.
Why is it colder the higher you go?
The basic answer is that the farther away you get from the earth, the thinner the atmosphere gets. The total heat content of a system is directly related to the amount of matter present, so it is cooler at higher elevations. The heating of the earth itself also plays a role.
Why does air pressure increase with altitude?
The gravitational attraction* between the earth and air molecules is greater for those molecules nearer to earth than those further away — they have more weight — dragging them closer together and increasing the pressure (force per unit area) between them.
Why does pressure always decrease with altitude quizlet?
Why does pressure always decrease with altitude? The pressure at any level in the atmosphere can be interpreted as the total weight of the air molecules above a certain elevation. Therefore, as the altitude increases, there are fewer molecules above the surface.
Why is air pressure lower at a higher elevation than at a lower elevation quizlet?
Why is air pressure lower at a higher elevation than at a lower elevation? Air pressure at a given point results from the weight of air above that point. At higher elevations, there is less air above and therefore less weight of air to support.
How does air pressure change with altitude and elevation quizlet?
Air pressure decreases as altitude increases. As air pressure decreases, density decreases.
