What happens to air that causes high-pressure systems?(1 point)

Responses

It heats up and expands.
It heats up and expands.

It cools down and descends.
It cools down and descends.

It warms up and rises.
It warms up and rises.

It moves in random directions

It cools down and descends.

It cools down and descends.

The answer is: It cools down and descends.

High-pressure systems are associated with areas of sinking air. To understand why sinking air causes high-pressure systems, we need to look at how air behaves when it cools down and warms up.

As air cools down, it becomes denser and sinks towards the Earth's surface. This happens because cooler air has a higher density compared to warmer air. As the air descends, the pressure exerted by the air molecules increases, creating a high-pressure system.

In contrast, when air heats up, it expands and becomes less dense. This causes it to rise, creating a low-pressure system. In low-pressure systems, air rises, creating areas of lower atmospheric pressure.

Therefore, in the case of high-pressure systems, the air cools down and descends, leading to an increase in atmospheric pressure.