What Causes the ‘Crinkle’ of a Plastic Bag?

Plastic bags make a crinkly noise when you move them. Imagine the bag is like a piece of paper that’s been stretched thin and made bouncy. When you shake it or twist it, the plastic moves around inside itself and makes little whooshing sounds. It's kind of like when you squish a balloon, the air inside moves and makes noise.

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Examples

  1. When you open a plastic bag by pulling it apart, it makes that familiar crinkly noise.
  2. Shaking a full grocery bag makes it sound like it's whispering to you.
  3. If you twist a plastic bag around your wrist, you can hear the crinkle as you move.

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