Why do I have to take my laptop out of the bag at airport security?

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NEW YORK — Anyone who has traveled by air in the past 10 years will know how stressful airports can be.

You didn’t leave home as early as you should have. In the mad rush to get to your gate, the security screening seems to slow everything down. And to add insult to injury, you’re met with the finicky request: “Laptops out of bags, please.”

But what does your laptop have to do with security?

The day that changed air travel forever

Before 9/11, you could pass through security with a carry-on bag full of everything you might need for your vacation, including a knife with a four-inch blade.

After 9/11, screening processes around the world changed overnight. In the U.S., private security contractors being paid a minimum wage were swapped out for a federalized program with highly trained security personnel. Anything that could be considered a weapon was confiscated.

Around the world, travelers were suddenly required to remove their shoes, belts and outerwear, and take out their phones, laptops, liquids and anything else that could be used as part of an improvised explosive device.

This lasted for several years. Eventually, more advanced screening methods were developed to effectively identify certain threats. Today, some countries don’t require you to remove your shoes when passing through security.

So why must you still take your laptop out?

Airport scanners have come a long way

The machine your bags and devices pass through is an X-ray machine.

The main reason you have to remove your laptop from your bag is because its battery and other mechanical components are too dense for X-rays to penetrate effectively, especially if the scanning system is old. The same goes for power cords and other devices such as tablets and cameras.

With these items in your bag, security officials can’t use the screened image to determine whether a risk is present. They’ll have to flag the bag for a physical search, which slows everything down. It’s easier if all devices are removed in the first place.

A laptop inside a bag can also shield other items from view that may be dangerous. Scanning it separately…