Meteor (flying rock) gets broken apart by air?
In: Physics
So when a meteor comes into Earth’s atmosphere it is broken up by the air. Specifically it’s the DENSITY of the air. With the speed of the rock and this density of the air, these combined creates a resistance causing it to break apart. Essentially, air becomes denser the closer you reach sea level. Air is considered a fluid in a bunch of disciplines. In comparison, the atmosphere is like the ocean. The closer you travel to the center of the Earth the density will increase for air and any body of water.
Edit: more explanation.
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