Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Earth’s atmosphere is not an ideal gas in thermodynamic equilibrium. This video explains how gravity acts on gas molecules, why density and pressure decrease continuously with altitude, and how a gravitationally bound atmosphere can transition gradually into the near-vacuum of space without a solid container.
Earth’s atmosphere is not an ideal gas in thermodynamic equilibrium. This video explains how gravity acts on gas molecules, why density and pressure decrease continuously with altitude, and how a gravitationally bound atmosphere can transition gradually into the near-vacuum of space without a solid container.










