Why does the TSA have a 100ml container rule for liquids when I can put the same liquid in all of the containers?
Yes, this is similar to another question, but, judging from the answers, maybe the OP wasn't clear enough in their question. According to the TSA's 3-1-1 rule, you can bring (in your carry-on baggage) as many 100ml containers of liquid that you can fit into a 1-quart (20mmX20mm) bag.
My confusion is this: If I can put the same liquid in each 100ml container, then the 100ml isn't a limit in any meaningful way; the 1-quart bag is. What is the rationale for letting me bring a bag of, say, four 100ml bottles of something but not one 400ml bottle?
The answer cannot be "Because 100ml of some explosive/corrosive liquid is not enough to harm the aircraft" because, from above, you can bring aboard probably 400-500ml of it in separate 100ml bottles in the same 1-quart bag. It can't be "Because, separately, they don't pose a threat" because one could mix them in any of the large empty containers they can bring through. The answer also can't be "Because TSA needs concrete, simple rules", since it would be simpler to just say "Whatever liquids you can fit into a 1-quart baggie" (i.e. a "1-1" rule instead of a "3-1-1" rule).
Seriously, what's the point?
Best Answer
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.
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Why are you limited to 100ml of liquid on a plane?
The regulation which allows only 100 ml liquids, gels, and aerosols to be carried inside the plane was introduced in 2006, after the British Police uncovered a terrorist plot to ignite liquid explosives that were carried on board seven airliners travelling from the UK to the United States and Canada.Why do liquids have to be under 100ml?
Flights introduced the hand luggage liquid allowance restrictions back in 2006. It came after British police foiled a terror plot which saw terrorists smuggling explosives. The incident was the largest terror plot ever discovered in Britain.Why can you only bring a certain amount of liquid on a plane?
Tests showed that a container of a certain size is needed for an effective explosion. Separate three-ounce containers limited in number to what will fit inside a single one-quart bag do not have \u201cenough critical diameter\u201d to blow up an aircraft, he said. The rule was ridiculed. Critics scoffed, Mr.Do I have to separate my liquids for TSA?
These are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. Placing these items in the small bag and separating from your carry-on baggage facilitates the screening process. Pack items that are in containers larger than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters in checked baggage.TSA 3-1-1 LIQUID \u0026 POWDER RULE FOR CARRY ON BAG | Everything you need to know from a Travel Agent
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