Summary
Explores air pressure, how the atmosphere has layers, and why hot air rises while cold air sinks — concepts that underlie weather, wind, and how airplanes fly.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- What is air pressure and why does it exist?
- Why does hot air rise and cold air sink?
- How is the difference in air pressure between two areas related to wind?
- Why is it harder to breathe at the top of a very tall mountain?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: air pressure, atmosphere, density, wind, altitude, convection.
Try it: Hold a piece of paper horizontally from your mouth and blow across the top. The paper rises! This demonstrates Bernoulli's principle — faster-moving air has lower pressure. Discuss how airplane wings use the same idea.