Why does the air get thinner the higher you go?
Air's Blanket Stack
Why does the air get thinner the higher you go?
Climb a tall mountain and something strange happens: the air feels thin. You breathe harder, your head feels light, and the wind tastes somehow smaller. But here's the puzzle — air is everywhere, right? So why does there seem to be less of it up high?
First, a secret: air has weight. It doesn't feel heavy because we're swimming in it all the time, the way a fish doesn't feel water. But pile up enough air — miles and miles of it — and that weight adds up to something real.
