Question

Why does temperature decrease with higher altitude?multiple choice of:A- air is held strongly together by gravity, so there is less heat transfer B- Air density is lower, so there is less hear transferC- Air density is higher, so there is less hear transferD- Air pressure is higher, so there is less heat transfer.

Answer 1

ANSWER

B - Air density is lower, so there is less heat transfer

EXPLANATION

We want to identify why temperature decreases with higher altitude.

When radiation is absorbed by the earth's surface, it heats the surroundings and the air through convection and conduction.

However, as we ascend higher into the atmosphere, the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the troposphere's gases decreases significantly.

Due to less heat transfer, air molecules start to move away from each other causing a decrease in air density

Hence, we see that temperature decreases with increasing altitude because there is less heat transfer due to the lower air density.

The answer is option B.