# Is there a word for the "Potato Chip Effect?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 19, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956 "2022-08-19T18:00:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956/21 "2022-08-23T15:23:49Z")
It sounds like this problem is similar to some of the potential problems encountered in carving/whittling; a certain amount of force is necessary to push a sharp edge through a section of wood, but there is a risk that the resistance to that force may abruptly and unexpectedly release. The most common response to this is ‘always cut away from yourself’, so if it happens, the sharp thing only encounters open space, but in some techniques, the problem is overcome by bracing in such a way that an uncontrolled release of force will cause part of your body (say your wrist) to ground out against another part of your body (say, your abdomen), before the sharp thing in your hand goes anywhere bad. Demonstrated in this video around the 9 minute mark: [Spoon Carving: Tools, Techniques and Tips for Carving a Spoon - YouTube](https://youtu.be/38jhIpPkpn8?t=519) In application to the problem described in this thread, you can sort of achieve the same thing, either by bracing your wrists against your abdomen as you pull apart the bag, or by pivoting your knuckles against one another almost as if they are meshing gears - this permits more controlled application of force than simply pulling two points apart from each other in open air. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956/22 "2022-08-23T15:31:04Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > As a strong dude there are many times I must make an effort to be _delicate_. Clark? Clark _Kent_? I think we found the name the OP was looking for. The Clark Kent Effect (CKE). ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956/23 "2022-08-23T17:28:44Z")
This seems to be analogous to the situation with traditional glass bottled ketchup. You tap-tap-tap and then whoosh, out comes a whole lot. The reason for this is that ketchup is a non-Newtonian fluid. I.e., it has more than one flow rate. Perhaps there’s a “non-Newtonian” equivalent for the materials bags are made of. More than one tear rate. Tears slowly with some effort then quickly starts tearing with virtually no effort. Say it with me, “non-Newtonian”. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956/24 "2022-08-25T22:52:27Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I use scissors the vast majority of the time. Not only is there no chance at the bag busting open, but it leaves a clean edge that won’t tear further. I’ve found that for some bag types, if there’s even the tiniest nick in the edge, it can propagate all the way down the bag, making it useless. A thousand times this. Because when they “propagate all the way down the bag, making it useless”, you then have to waste a large baggie to keep them fresh. Scissors, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2022, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956/25 "2022-08-25T22:53:24Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > The Clark Kent Effect (CKE). I likes it! ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2022, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956/26 "2022-08-26T01:19:35Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > This seems to be analogous to the situation with traditional glass bottled ketchup. You tap-tap-tap and then whoosh, out comes a whole lot. Or, per Richard Armour: > Shake and shake the ketchup bottle > None’ll come, and then a lot’ll ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956/27 "2022-09-02T19:00:15Z")
A post was split to a new topic: [Thescrr odd posts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thescrr-odd-posts/970831) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956/28 "2022-09-02T16:43:30Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > the bag tears suddenly, and you launch chips in every direction before you can react and relax the muscles that were doing the pulling. I like “bagsplosion” to describe this effect. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956/29 "2022-09-02T18:50:41Z")
That has potential. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-the-potato-chip-effect/969956.md?page=1)