If a mercury thermometer is lifted from sea level to, say, 500 miles
above the earth (well outside the atmosphere) always being kept in the
shade (shielded from the sun), what will the graph of the reading given
vs altitude look like? Also, what meaning may one attach to whatever
reading is shown at the 500 mile altitude i.e. what would the reading
tell one?
Is this the same question as:
What would the graph of temperature (no restriction on the instrument
used) vs altitude from sea level to 500 miles in altitude? If not, how
would this graph be different?