Explain why atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude. (3 marks)
Firstly, pressure is created by air molecules colliding with a surface. At an increased altitude there are fewer air molecules, and therefore a larger average distance between them. This means at this higher altitude, the number of collisions with a surface is decreased. This means the pressure is less at high altitude compared to the air pressure at the surface of Earth.
EB
Related Physics GCSE answers
All answers ▸In an isolated container contains 1kg of ice at 0 oC. 1kg of warm water (323K) is poured into the container. How much ice (in kgs) remains after the system returns to thermal equilibrium? (by the end of the process?)
On a day with no wind, a large object is dropped from a tall building. The object experiences air resistance during its fall to the ground. State and explain, in terms of the forces acting, how the acceleration of the object varies during its fall.
According to Newton's third law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Why then does a box move when I push it? Shouldn't the two opposing forces cancel out to a zero net force?
Hanging on a branch of a tree, a monkey sees a hunter aiming a gun at him. The monkey lets go of the branch at the exact same time the bullet is fired. Explain why the bullet hits the monkey.