Heat Rises?????

@rane0328 (129)
United States
June 25, 2008 3:51pm CST
Ok so from what i hear ppl scientists say heat rises right? if you are in a house and lay on the floor it is cooler their then if you were at the highest point in the house? So my question is, if heat rises then why is it colder on top of a mountain???? then down on the ground?????
1 person likes this
4 responses
spalladino
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
25 Jun 08
Because the Earth is warm and, as the heat rises, it's also being cooled by the air so, the closer you are to the source, the warmer it will be.
rane0328
@rane0328 (129)
• United States
25 Jun 08
but the higher u go u r closer to the sun, so with the sun being hotter then earth wouldn't it make more since for it to get hotter???
Wendy
@jerzgirl (9327)
• United States
25 Jun 08
Because the atmosphere contains much of the heat as a lid would on a pot. The air molecules are farther apart the higher up you go, so it is less able to hold in the heat.
scarywhitegirl
@scarywhitegirl (2766)
• United States
25 Jun 08
I used to ask my mom and dad this question a lot when I was a kid. I honestly can't remember the explanation that they gave me, but I think it had something to do with the heat dissipating as the air got thinner at higher elevations maybe?
grunge_avenged
@grunge_avenged (552)
• Canada
25 Jun 08
I learned in grade 9 geography that every 100 metres higher you go that the temperature goes down 1 degree celcius so that would explain a lot right there.