Do you live in a house that has a higher and a lower level? Maybe you have a main floor and a basement? If not, you’ve probably been to a friend’s house that had a higher level.
If you’ve ever slept in a higher bedroom, especially during the hot days of summer, you’ve probably noticed that the upper level is usually warmer than the lower level. Similarly, if you’ve ever been in a basement, you may have noticed it’s cooler than the main level.
What’s the explanation for that? Does the air become warmer the closer you get to the Sun? Could it be magic? No! It’s science! Let’s take a closer look at how the air around us behaves.
Have you ever heard someone explain that the higher temperatures on an upper floor are the result of hot air going up? They’re absolutely correct. Hot air does go up, but it doesn’t have anything to do with getting closer to the Sun.
Hot air goes up because gases expand as they heat up. When air heats up and expands, its density also decreases. The warmer, less dense air effectively floats on top of the colder, denser air below it. This creates a buoyant force that causes the warmer air to go up.
This is the very science that explains how hot air balloons fly. The balloon catches the air being heated below. The hot air fills the balloon and its buoyant force lifts the hot air balloon high into the sky. As the heat source is reduced, the air cools down, bringing the balloon back to the ground.
While the science of hot air going up seems very straightforward, it might seem a bit counterintuitive to a certain group of people: mountain climbers. If you’ve ever climbed a mountain or taken a hike to the top of a mountain at a high elevation, you know one thing: it’s usually much colder at the top of a mountain than it is at the bottom.
What’s happening here? If hot air goes up, shouldn’t the air at the top of the mountain be really warm? But experience tells us otherwise. The higher you go in elevation, the colder the air gets. Fortunately, science once again gives us our answer.
As air heats up and becomes less dense, it rises higher into the air. As it reaches higher elevations, it encounters less air pressure. The lower air pressure at higher elevations allows the air to expand even more. As it continues to expand, it begins to cool down. When it cools down, it will sink to a lower elevation where it will encounter higher air pressure, start to contract, and eventually warm up again.
This process continues. In fact, the movement of air up and down throughout the atmosphere explains a lot of the weather we observe. Lower air pressures correspond to lower air temperatures, whereas higher air pressures correspond to higher air temperatures.
When you hike to the top of a mountain, the air up there has expanded to the point where it is under much lower air pressure and its temperature is much cooler as a result. As you descend, you encounter air that’s more compact (higher air pressure) and warmer as a result.
Give It a Try
Are you ready to experiment with air? Ask a friend or family member to help you try out the following activities:
If you want to witness the effects of differences in air temperature, you can visit the Hot Air, Cold Air Activity online. It is important to have the assistance of an adult friend or family member, and make sure you have all the necessary supplies before starting. Air pressure may be difficult to comprehend since it is invisible. However, conducting simple science experiments can aid in understanding. You can try some of the Top Ten Air Pressure Experiments To Mystify Your Kids with the help of an adult friend or family member. If you are up for a challenge, you can ask for assistance in building your own Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles. This enjoyable science project requires special materials and patience, but it will be exciting to fly a homemade hot air balloon powered by candles.
Sources of wonder:
– http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3901
– http://www.askamathematician.com/2013/02/q-if-hot-air-rises-why-is-it-generally-colder-at-higher-elevations/
– http://www.explainthatstuff.com/how-hot-air-balloons-work.html
– http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=4561
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