explain why a sealed bag of potato chips "puffs out" (increases in volume) if taken from sea level to a high mountain pass.

I know this has to do with pressure.. so is it because the higher up you go, the less pressure there is? Thanks!

Yes, you are correct, the change in pressure is indeed the reason why a sealed bag of potato chips puffs out when taken to a high mountain pass. Let me explain the underlying mechanism in more detail:

The atmosphere is composed of gases, which exert pressure on objects at lower altitudes due to the weight of the air above them. This pressure is referred to as atmospheric pressure. As you move higher in altitude, the amount of air above you decreases, leading to a decrease in atmospheric pressure.

Now, consider a sealed bag of potato chips. Inside the bag, there is initially a balance of air pressure between the outside atmosphere and the air trapped inside the bag, maintaining the bag's original volume. However, when you take this bag from sea level to a high mountain pass, the atmospheric pressure decreases significantly.

The air inside the bag, on the other hand, is still at the same pressure as it was at sea level. Due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the bag, the air molecules inside push against the bag, causing it to expand. This expansion results in the bag appearing puffed out or increased in volume.

To visualize this, imagine two forces at play: the outside atmospheric pressure pushing against the bag from all directions, and the trapped air inside the bag pushing back on the bag. When the external pressure reduces at high altitude, the force exerted by the trapped air becomes relatively greater, leading to the bag expanding to equalize the pressure.

In conclusion, the decrease in atmospheric pressure as you ascend to a high mountain pass causes the sealed bag of potato chips to puff out because the air trapped inside the bag exerts a higher pressure than the decreased external pressure at higher altitudes.