What Happens to Oxygen at high Altitude?
At increasing heights there appears to be less oxygen than
at lower heights however the percentage of oxygen stays the same. This is due
to atmospheric pressure affecting the partial pressure of oxygen.
The air at sea level is compressed by the weight of the air above it making it denser than the air at higher altitudes due to atmospheric pressure. This means that there are fewer molecules in a given volume of air the higher you get as there is less atmospheric pressure. So although the percentage of oxygen remains the same there are less oxygen molecules to breath, resulting in a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen.
This difference in oxygen has a serious effect on humans and the wildlife living at high altitudes must also adapt to cope with these conditions.
The air at sea level is compressed by the weight of the air above it making it denser than the air at higher altitudes due to atmospheric pressure. This means that there are fewer molecules in a given volume of air the higher you get as there is less atmospheric pressure. So although the percentage of oxygen remains the same there are less oxygen molecules to breath, resulting in a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen.
This difference in oxygen has a serious effect on humans and the wildlife living at high altitudes must also adapt to cope with these conditions.