Why does the TSA have a 100ml container rule for liquids when I can put the same liquid in all of the containers?

10/3/2020 6:49:28 AM

Why am I allowed to pass airport security with 3 bottles of 100ml liquid but not with one bottle of 300ml? answers your question.

Rahul Dobriyal, pilot aspirant. Answered June 23, 2017.

It is not about the quantity of liquid you carry. It’s about the size of the bottle in which you carry it. I would explain it by an example :

Let us consider that a group of terrorists plan to detonate a liquid bomb in the aircraft. Since a liquid bomb is very unstable in final form, they would plan to mix the liquid (say A) with another liquid or reagents(say B) on board to make the liquid bomb.

You are allowed to carry liquids in transparent 100 ml bottles. The quantity is restricted to no of bottles that can fill up a 1 Litre zipper bag. Now even if they carry liquid A in 10 bottles and B in another 10 bottles of 100 ml, it would be very difficult to mix the liquids together in precise amounts to make the bomb on board.

So, it is not about the quantity of liquid you carry. It’s about the size of the bottles in which you carry it.

Edit 1 : In addition, it is easier to scan what kind of liquid you are carrying in 100 ml bottles. In bigger bottles you can disguise the liquid by filling the bottle with some other substance and making a cavity in between for the liquid.

Hachi Ko, Pilot (ATP) & Air Traffic Controller (FAA Terminal ATC-12). Answered July 11, 2017.

There is a limit at which a container can be effectively scanned for harmful substances. It’s not exactly 100ml, but it’s close. 100ml is a nice, round number chosen for its simplicity… it’s not likely to be confusing to anyone.

I have witnessed tests of security scans and you can definitely sneak harmful substances through in 1/2-liter containers, but it’s nearly impossible in 100 ml containers. Assuming everything is working correctly, you couldn’t, for example, sneak anything in using 5 100ml containers, but you easily could using a single 500ml container.

It has to do with density and volume. I’m not a chemist or physicist, but it was explained this way to me:

Could you find a single clear glass bead in a 100ml container? Pretty easily. But it would be extremely difficult to detect in a 1 liter or larger container, unless you really slowed down the security line for a much more intensive scan.

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

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Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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