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Physics 20 Online
OpenStudy (anonymous):

why does hot air rise and cold air sink?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Simply because of density. The warmer a gas, the less dense it is, so it tends to rise through cooler air. Also, if the warmer air contains more water vapour (which is often the case), it will rise because moist air is lighter than dry air. This surprises a lot of people; but water vapour is less dense than either oxygen or nitrogen (the two most abundant gasses in the atmosphere), so air with water vapour in it is lighter.. Cold air sinks because the molecules contained in it are more densely packed than those in hot air. Molecules in hot air are more active, so their is a greater space between molecules, making hot air less dense and lighter than cold air.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Thank you :>

OpenStudy (anonymous):

your welcome

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