Why is it colder at the top of a mountain despite being closer to the sun ?
In: 11
In simple terms:
The amount of warmth you feel as you get 1 mile closer to the sun is VERY small in comparison to the amount of warmth lost in the air at that altitude.
e.g. Being on top of a mile-tall mountain, you might feel 0.0001 degree warmer for being closer to the sun, but feel 40 degrees colder due to the air. Therefore, in total, you feel 39.9999 degrees colder on top of the mountain.
The reason the air is colder is because the density is lower. Less air = less heat (in simplistic terms).
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