Does alcohol show up different than water when x-rayed?

Question

In a couple weeks I'm leaving for a cruise. You can't bring hard alcohol aboard so I had planned on sneaking some on in water bottles. Searching bags is random, but each bag is x-rayed.

Will the alcohol show up as different from the water in the x-ray image, or do all liquids show up the same?

Answer 1

Nope.

Everybody gets their 'medicine' on board like this :-)

Answer 2

So you're asking yahoo members to help you break the law? Please everyone report this person!!

Answer 3

To answer your question first, not enough for the untrained eye to spot but the bottle will give you away so change it.

X-rays are absorbed, transmitted and scattered when an x-ray is given and the material dictates the amount of each. A grid is used to limit the scattering and thus blur in the x-ray on film and the video image. Since security uses a very low amount of x-ray and video screen to look at your stuff and it passes pretty fast they will not be able to distiguish the contrast between water and alcohol. Now a very trained eye (radiologist) would pick up on the contrast difference and then might want a second look but I doubt you have that to worry about. A good security program would train its people by looking at different objects under x-ray to see the contrast outline difference. Eventhough they could not tell between H20 and alcohol they could at least want you to open your bag then you are screwed. I really don't think you have anything to worry about. Its just booze not a gun, explosives, a knife, or liquids that can be combined to make an explosive or toxic gas etc.

X- GE medical systems engineer