The table below shows air pressure measurements taken at set altitudes above sea level. What fact about Earth’s atmosphere best explains this data according to the table? Question 3 options: As altitude increases in the atmosphere, temperature changes from layer to layer. As altitude increases, there is less air pushing down from above, which decreases the pressure. As altitude increases, the composition of the atmosphere changes so that lighter-weight gases make up the majority of the air. At higher altitudes, there is less water vapor in the air which changes the air pressure.

As altitude increases, there is less air pushing down from above, which decreases the pressure.

Explanation:

Atmospheric pressure is the result of air particles being pulled to the surface of the Earth by gravity. As they are pulled, they will exert more pressure on the Earth and this is what atmospheric pressure is.

It makes sense therefore that as we move higher into the atmosphere, the atmospheric pressure will decrease because less air particles are exerting pressure as we go further off the ground.

Another way to look at it is that there is air in the earth's atmosphere and all that air has weight that is pushing down on us. As we go higher into the atmosphere, there'll be less air pushing down on us so the weight will be less.