Boxi Learn › Geography › Stage 2 · Models and Patterns
Why is it cold on a mountain top?
GEO-2 Places differ, and there are reasonsX-1 Guess, then check
What many people think
A mountain top should be warmer, because it is closer to the Sun.
The idea
Air is warmed mostly by the ground below, and it cools by about 6.5 °C for every kilometre you climb.
Explain it
A friend says mountain tops should be warm because they are closer to the Sun. Use the 6.5 °C-per-kilometre rule and the "closer to the Sun" numbers to explain why Kilimanjaro has ice although it is almost on the equator.
Try at home
In a weather app, find two places near each other at different heights (a town and a nearby mountain or hill station). Compare their temperatures at the same time, and work out how many °C colder it is per 1,000 m.