How come if a window is smashed out on an airplane it will cause a disaster but other planes can open doors with no problem.

Question

Was on a flight the other day and remembered as a kid being worried the window would break and everyone would get thrown out of the plane, but went sky diving and half the plane was open with no issue. What’s the difference?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Well first, a window breaking on a plane won’t necessarily be a disaster, and if *definitely* won’t suck everyone out of the plane. Most commercial planes fly at altitudes where there’s not enough air for people to breath, so the planes have to be pressurized, meaning the air pressure inside the plane is higher than the air outside. If there’s a breach in the fuselage, such as a broken window, all the air will rush out. Smaller planes like ones used for skydiving don’t fly that high and so aren’t pressurized. The air inside the plane is always equal to the pressure outside, so there’s no problem opening the door.