A woman was shocked to find her bag of Ruffles chips rapidly expanding on her flight, making her think it might eventually pop.
@megan210shop1 noticed her preflight snack nearly bubbling up during the flight, and it started to worry her. She posted a video of the bag, expanded nearly to capacity, on her TikTok page, which garnered 2 million views.
It left many people wondering: Would the bag pop? Did it eventually explode midair?
Why did the chip bag expand?
Chip bags expand because of the difference in pressure between the air inside the bag and the air outside. Inside the bag, there’s a small amount of air that is insulated, meaning it maintains its pressure due to the seal.
Planes generally fly around 35,000 feet, where air pressure is much lower than at sea level. Any mountaineer might notice the effects of low pressure when climbing Mount Whitney or Everest. That effect is heightened at such a great height. The only reason it doesn’t dramatically affect passengers is because of the plane’s internal cabin pressure, which provides an opposing force.
The pressure outside the bag decreases while the pressure inside remains the same. The pressure differential causes the small amount of gas inside the bag to expand, leading to a “puff!”
The bag also won’t return to its normal size after the plane lands. That’s because the pressure inside the bag remains insulated. The pressure from “the factory” where it was made is the pressure insulated in the bag. It may shrink slightly when cabin pressure returns to normal, but it will likely maintain a “large” size.
Will the bag ‘pop’ louder if she opens it?
While the chips won’t “tackle” @megan210shop1 like one comment suggested, it could have a louder pop because of the pressure differential.
Many commenters pointed out that the louder sound could startle other passengers, especially those who are nervous flyers.
One person wrote, “You open them and the sound alone is getting you put on a no flight list.”
Another offered a possible PSA for other passengers before opening the Ruffles chip bag: “Excuse me people, I have a bag of chips that I’m going to open. Do NOT & I repeat do NOT freak out!! Thanks.”
@megan210shop1 My flight chips I bought them at the airport before boarding lol #flight #snacks #boom #megan210shop ♬ original sound – megan210shop
Would the bag pop open on its own?
Generally, insulated bags like chips don’t pop open on planes unless someone opens them. That’s because these bags are well-designed and tested to ensure safety.
The only reason a bag of chips would pop on a plane is if the pressure differential became extreme. Plane flights are generally safe. If a chip bag were poorly designed, it would likely include a label warning customers about pressure differentials and the potential for the seal to burst, but industry standards make that an unlikely scenario worldwide.
The Mary Sue has reached out to @megan210shop1 for comment.
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