Why is it harder to breathe when climbing up a high mountain?
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When climbing up a high mountain, it becomes harder to breathe due to the decrease in air pressure and the reduced concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere.
To understand why this happens, we first need to know that the air pressure decreases as we go higher in altitude. At sea level, the air pressure is higher because there is more weight of air above us. As we ascend to higher altitudes, there is less air mass above us, resulting in lower air pressure.
Now, let's consider the concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere. Although the composition of Earth's atmosphere is approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and trace amounts of other gases, this composition remains relatively constant regardless of altitude. However, since the air pressure decreases at higher altitudes, the density of oxygen molecules (i.e., the number of oxygen molecules per unit volume of air) also decreases. This means that while the percentage of oxygen remains the same, there are fewer oxygen molecules available per breath at high altitudes.
The combination of lower air pressure and reduced oxygen density makes it harder to extract sufficient oxygen from the air during each breath. This can lead to symptoms like shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and fatigue, commonly known as "altitude sickness" or "mountain sickness." As our bodies rely on oxygen for energy production, this decreased availability of oxygen can negatively impact physical performance and overall well-being.
To summarize, the decrease in air pressure and reduced concentration of oxygen at higher altitudes make it harder to breathe while climbing up a high mountain.