3 ms·
The metal casing of many laptops reflects the xrays, hence you can't see anything inside them.
by Iolaum 7y ago
The metal casing of many laptops reflects the xrays, hence you can't see anything inside them.
- gmueckl 7y agoX-Rays can pass through thick chunks of metal several times the thickness of a laptop. You just need a powerful enough source. I doubt however that such a source can be used safely in an enclosure as open as the securiry check machines.
- Reason077 7y agoAt many airports you can see the x-ray images of the bags and devices as they are scanned/checked. In my experience there is always a detailed image of the inside of laptops. Color-coded according to material type/density and clearly showing the location of batteries, etc.
- pbhjpbhj 7y agoI'd imagine the batteries being switched for plastic explosive would be a simple way to take explosives onboard for unsophisticated attackers, turning on rules out that possibility. Not everyone who wants to blow stuff up is a hacker.
- Reason077 7y agoWouldn’t plastic explosive have a different density to real batteries, and thus show up very obviously on the scanner? The machines are tuned to highlight specific risky materials (such as liquids & gels). At one point it was common to be asked to turn on laptops etc. But I haven’t seen them do that for years - presumably because the scanners have improved.
- pbhjpbhj 7y agoLiPo laptop battery is apparently around 1.8-2 g/cm3 (sorry can't find good figures), whilst C4 is 1.73 g/cm3. Not sure what the density resolution is like -- I'd guess it's poor because you can't tell what thickness/type of casing you're looking through from the luggage "xray"; I'd imagine it to be primarily good at relative density.
- warrenm 7y agoNot even close to true - just look at the scan monitor next time you fly: you can clearly see inside any electronics going through the scanner