Why is there so much room at the top of a potato chip bag and not chips there?

Question

Why don't they fill the bag with chips (within reason for them to not crush) instead of air?

Thanks for the answers so far, but I didn't mean completely full with chips. Its merely 1/3 the bag full in most of them... thats a looooott of padding, don't cha think? So what if they would cost more... I could use at least a 1/2 of 2/3 the bag full... no?

BTW I have never seen sold by weight and not by volume on a bag of chips I have bought...

Answer 1

The bag is sold by weight and not volume. If the bag was full, the chips would also get smashed easier.

Answer 2

Actually, companies found out that they could put out a product and over time people would become addicted to it. Or it would be institutionalized in their life. Because of it being institutionalized, they knew people would pay the same money or more for less of the product. Like there is a certain hamburger company that sells their large and small milk shake for the same price. The small milk shake it short and wide, while the large is tall and thin. But both hold the same amount of milkshake.

Answer 3

It usually says on the bag...."bag contents based on weight, not volume."

Each bag has a specified amount of chips inside. The air helps add padding.

Answer 4

The bag is full when they first put them in there but they settle to the bottom. They also need the air that is trapped in the bag to act as insulation so that they don't all end up broken in to little Pisces.

Answer 5

I know.I spent 4.00 on potato chip and I got mad when I opeped the bag up.Maybe they want to make a profit.Or some people who get really hungry,may get half the bag.

Answer 6

I agree with randell w, and we all should learn the ergonomics of all this sort of thing, because just sometimes, and I only mean sometimes, they are not out to rip us off, it's just the way it has to be