As an air parcel rises, the surrounding atmospheric pressure decreases. The parcel must expand to match this lower pressure. Expanding requires energy, which the parcel takes from its own internal heat. Since no heat is added from the outside, the parcel uses its own energy to push outward, causing its internal temperature to drop significantly. ANSWER: (C) It does work on the environment and its temperature drops
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Adiabatic cooling is a fundamental law of thermodynamics in our atmosphere. When air is forced upward, it moves into regions of lower pressure. To expand into this new space, the air molecules must “do work” against the surrounding air. Because this happens too fast for heat to be exchanged with the environment, the energy for this work comes from the parcel’s internal kinetic energy. As molecules lose speed, the temperature falls. This is the primary reason why clouds form; the rising air cools down until it reaches its dew point, forcing water vapor to condense.
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