any scientists..!! please answer this

was having sunday lunch at the in laws.

grandad asked a Q?


why? does the sun warm the earth,, we feel it and get suntanned from it etc etc etc.

but in a plane at the height they fly- outside the pilot tells us the temperature is minus whatever!..

so if you are nearer to the sun there- whys it colder>?
what happens to the heat.. where does it go and how can it then reach the earth and be roastin hot??


is it obvious?

[21QUEST]

I don't really know how to explain it but it's something to do with the Solar Plexus being in a different plane to the axis of rotation of the earth.




HTH




Cheers
Ben

on a nice sunny winters day it can be freezing cold not quite the answer you were looking for?
its only cuz i cant answer it

Insulation. The atmosphere gets thinner the higher you go, hence less air to absorb the energy. Plus there's less of everything in general. In towns and cities the buildings, roads, absorb and emit heat. If you go out in to the wilderness, it's generally a fair bit cooler.

That's why on a clear night, it's generally freezing and when it's cloudy, it's milder.

The heat is only held in by the atmosphere. On a night with a clear sky you'll notice it is freeezing compared to a cloudy night. As the 'insulation' descreases with altitude, the temperature drops by about 7 degrees per 1000m altitude (as far as i can remember). This is why the deserts suffer from nights of about -10 celcius. If you were in concorde the plane skin heats up to about 90 celcius due to its speed! The reason that space is so cold is that there isn't anything there to heat up- so the suns energy travels through it until it hits earth. hope that clears it up a bit

Isn't it to do with air pressure, Boyles law and that.
Pressure in a fixed volume of gas is inversely proportional to temperature.
Air pressure decreases the higher in the atmosphere you go, hence its colder.

its all down to winds and vacuums in space no one can hear you fart

Generally the higher you get the less dense the air. when the air has less density it can't hold as much heat.
That's also why it's cold in the desert at night, no air moisture to hold the heat, even at sea level.

yeah, thats to do with the constant air-temperature ratio (which is obviously constant :P ) which is equal to density*r(another constant)*temperature. another aspect of it is that the earth emits heat. Why its so cold the day you plan a long ride i don;t know though

hmmm all very interesting...

and grandad will be educated cos he says hes lost sleep at night over this..


BUT-

how can the heat travel to earth through this "space" thats cold and then re heat to give me a suntan!??...

or r u saying its constantly that hot but cos of the make up of the atmosphere at that height it cant be felt..? is it like insulating?

oo I am not thick I am quite educated but stuff liek this makes me feel like jade goody !!