What process explains why lighter gases like Helium escape Earth's atmosphere over time?
Answer
Higher kinetic energy at Earth's temperature allows them to escape gravitational pull.
Lighter elements, like Helium, possess higher kinetic energy relative to heavier elements at the same temperature, enabling them to overcome Earth's gravity and escape into space.
Related Questions
What is the approximate percentage of Nitrogen in dry atmospheric air by volume?What critical function does the high concentration of inert Nitrogen serve in the atmosphere?Which gas is essential for respiration in complex life and makes up roughly one-fifth of the atmosphere?What is the approximate volume percentage of Argon (Ar) in dry air?What is the primary source responsible for the atmospheric abundance of Argon?In humid, tropical regions, what is the maximum approximate percentage that water vapor can constitute of the atmosphere's total volume?What process explains why lighter gases like Helium escape Earth's atmosphere over time?What is the concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in dry air, expressed in parts per million (ppm)?What distinguishes Oxygen's chemical properties from Nitrogen's in the atmosphere?What is the approximate ratio between the second most abundant gas (O2) and the third most abundant gas (Ar) in dry air?