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How can this be?
Temperature is different from heat. Molecules of any substance, like oxygen or nitrogen in the atmosphere, jostle around according to the energy they possess. Higher temperature means more jostle—like shaking a box of ping-pong balls faster and faster. Temperature tells the speed of molecules as they shake.
Heat is energy. The amount of heat depends on temperature and density—a measure of how heavy molecules are and how tightly they pack together. Think of the difference between shaking a box of ping-pong balls and a box of marbles.
The air of the thermosphere is thin. Although the temperature is very high in the thermosphere and the molecules are moving fast, there are very few molecules present. If you could stand outside in the thermosphere, you would freeze rather than boil!
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How does the atmosphere protect us from heat and cold?
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Would you freeze or boil in the thermosphere?
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