Not nearly enough heat. Keep burning and the mountain top will become warmer!

According to the ideal gas equation PV=nRT

In other words the temperature of a gas ( in this case the atmosphere) is proportional to the volume and pressure of the gas. This is due to the activity of the molecules determining the temperature.

Air pressure decreases as altitude increases and therefore, cold temperatures are experienced at high altitude.

OK, so first we need to know how the air got warm in the first place - the answer is that it is generally warmed by being close to the earth - mostly by energy that was absorbed from the sun and then re-radiated as heat.

As it warms, it expands and begin to rise, just like the air in a hot air balloon. The difference is that the hot air balloon takes its heat source with it, but without a balloon, hot air leaves the ground behind.

With the absence of a heat source to keep heating it, air will actually cool down as it expands. This is because it pushes against the air surrounding it, which does work and uses energy. Thus as the air rises, it cools down.

The higher you get, the more the air expands and the more it cools - so by the time you get to the top of a mountain it's pretty cold.

Interestingly if you go really really high - up into the stratosphere - it will begin to warm again as it absorbs UV energy directly from the sun.

There's a little experiment that demonstrates this, they also explain why: http://littleshop.physics.colostate.edu/docs/CMMAP/tenthings/ExpansionCooling.pdf

 If heat rises why

"Heat" does not rise or sink at all!

Gases or liquids warmer (and hence of lower density)*

than the gas/liquid around will rise.

"Heat" in bodys will diffuse from hot to colder parts,

irrespective of gravity.

Georg

* Of course there is a exepton: water below 4 °C and

above 0°C will expand on cooling!