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November 15, 2013
Q. What are a few of the classic air pressure problems facing passengers on a commercial airliner?
A. The air pressure in the cabin is maintained mechanically but is less than the air pressure on the ground. So as the plane climbs, air or other gas in flexible containers of cream, juice, salad dressing can expand and blow the contents into your lap (“comic relief on a tedious flight”), says Jearl Walker in “The Flying Circus of Physics.” “A seasoned traveler knows to open the seal slowly and with the opening facing away.”
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