TITLE: Will my laptop fit my handbag? (rectangle fits in parallelepiped)
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: I am not crazy, this is an actual geometry question that I found interesting as a non math person.
I have a MacBook Pro 15 with dimensions 35 x 24 x 1.5 and I want to buy an handbag and know if it will fit. The dimensions of the bag are 32 x 20 x 20 (the typical maximum dimensions for the second handbag that airlines allow are 35 x 20 x 20, but it would have been easier).
In the case of a 35 x 20 x 20 bag it is very easy because you put the laptop by the diagonal of the bag (sqrt(32^2+20^2)=37.74 < 35) if we count the height of the laptop as 0 instead of 1.5 (so considering it a Rectangle instead of a Parallelepiped).
In the case of a 32 x 20 x 20 bag how can I calculate if it fits (putting the Rectangle laptop tilted in respect of 2 dimensions instead of 1 in the Parallelepiped)?
And how can I do the same calculations counting the height of the laptop as different from 0 (so counting both the laptop and the bag as Parallelepipeds)?
(If this doesn't belong to this sub Stack Exchange I am very happy to know where I should put this)

REPLY [2 votes]: If I have understood your question correctly, I think your laptop will fit in the second bag.