Material Detail

If Hot Air Rises, Why is it Cold in the Mountains?

This demonstration/activity helps learners understand why higher elevations are not always warm simply because "hot air rises." Learners use a tire pump to increase the pressure and temperature inside a plastic bottle. After the bottle cools to room temperature, learners will release the valve and observe cool air escaping the bottle. Learners will discover that as the air moves to lower pressure, it cools....

Keywords:: Adiabatic Expansion, Structure and Properties of Matter, NSDL, Air, Hot Air, Pressure, Hot Air Balloon, Physics, Gases, Heat and Thermodynamics, Conducting Investigations, Environmental Lapse Rate, Atmosphere, Chemistry, Earth System Science, Atmospheric Science, Heat Transfer, Altitude, Materials Science, Physical Science, Geoscience, Motion and Forces, Thermodynamics and Entropy, Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate, Engineering, General Science, Technology, Elevation, Thermal Energy, Education, Heat and Temperature, Energy