Quote:
Originally Posted by NJBest
You're both right and wrong if you want to get technical. Hot air gets forced up by colder air, because the gravitational pull of the earth is stronger on the more dense, cold air. To make room for the cold air, the hot air must be pushed out of the way. Thus, it gets pushed up. Rising is not a property of heat. The heat just takes a ride with the air that gets pushed up.
So, essentially, the heat does end up rising. But it is due to gravity and displacement.
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I don't know why you need to "get technical" to say that hot air rises or how anything I said is wrong. I think most people are aware of buoyancy and how lighter fluids can rise despite everything being attracted toward the Earth. The end effect is still hot air rising.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJBest
Now, below is my OPINION on the question in the OP:
The higher you get, the less dense the air gets due to gravity. Density plays a part in how much energy can be absorbed by matter. This is why higher density materials such as metal and glass retain heat longer than lower density materials such as wood. So, since the air is less dense at the top of a mountain, it cannot absorb much heat, thus creating a colder climate.
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You don't have to believe me, but there are plenty of sources out there the describe atmospheric lapse and its origin.
lapse rate (meteorology) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
Lapse rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lapse rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The adiabatic atmosphere
No need for opinion.
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