Question

A pilot and a flight attendant get married and leave for their honeymoon on an airplane. Well meaning friends pack the plane with balloons. As the plane gains altitude, the balloons begin to pop. Using the ideal gas law, explain why the balloons popped.

Answer 1

As the plane rises, the cabin pressure lowers. This happens because of the ideal gas law. The pressure inside of the balloons doesn’t change with the cabin pressure, and so when the pressure differential is great enough, the balloons popped.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

As the plane rose, the pressure within the cabin reduced at a constant temperature. According to Boyle's law, the pressure and volume of a gas are inversely proportional, so the volume increased.
This increase in volume cause the balloons to pop.