Thread: For the scientifically minded...

Originally Posted by Glenn24

While it is true that current is the killer, current is a function of voltage & resistance.

Your body can be compared to a giant electrical resistance.

So the current that can flow in your body is DIRECTLY related to voltage being applied to you.

That is basically right.

To put this in easier language:
I can touch the Live and Neutral in a regular outlet. This will hurt, but represents little danger or damage to a healthy person. The reason is that you connect in paralell, and the resistance in your body is really high.
According to Ohm's law, it shows like this:
Voltage/(Apmps*resistance)
This closed circuit has very high resistance and therefore low current.

Now, the real danger is in a regular light switch.
Touching the two wires in one of those, with e.g. a bunch of lightning fixtures attached to it, is a real danger.
That will make a serial connection, and that means that all current in that closed circuit will pass thru you.

Believe you me, you do not wanna try that at home. I've lost 2 colleagues this way, a very nasty way to go...

A current as low as 30mA (that's 0,003A) could be potentially leathal, so beware

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I was just wondering about this as I got a minor electric shock this morning while working on some wiring.

We all know electricity is defined as a flow of electrons. But what does that really mean and what would it take to completely reverse or stop that flow. Also, how would either AC or DC differ in those respects. C'mon I know we have some Physicists here.

In reply to Ohm's law from a former EE, resistance is futile!!!

Electricity is really very simple.

It works like this:

Originally Posted by northpaw

Electricity is really very simple.

It works like this:

Yeah, that's pretty much how I was taught, too.

Originally Posted by JoeSomebody

Electricity is like running water. You have to have "flow" for it to work. If you stand on something insulated from ground, you will not get shocked because the electricity has no "path" to ground. Hope this makes sense. BTW DO NOT TRY THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE PROPER INSULATION YOU WILL GET SHOCKED!

Be careful with the insulation from ground. Electricity will jump an air gap depending on moisture in the air, current and distance. I agree with you as far as experience is concerned. Don't be lazy, throw the breaker or main. Takes an extra few minutes. OR....hire a dang professional.

Originally Posted by Birnando

That is basically right.

To put this in easier language:
I can touch the Live and Neutral in a regular outlet. This will hurt, but represents little danger or damage to a healthy person. The reason is that you connect in paralell, and the resistance in your body is really high.
According to Ohm's law, it shows like this:
Voltage/(Apmps*resistance)
This closed circuit has very high resistance and therefore low current.

Now, the real danger is in a regular light switch.
Touching the two wires in one of those, with e.g. a bunch of lightning fixtures attached to it, is a real danger.
That will make a serial connection, and that means that all current in that closed circuit will pass thru you.

Believe you me, you do not wanna try that at home. I've lost 2 colleagues this way, a very nasty way to go...

A current as low as 30mA (that's 0,003A) could be potentially leathal, so beware

I been zapped a few times by a 115V/15amp circuit. No fun! Now I follow the "THROW THE BREAKER" rule. Works every time.

Okay, thanks for the answers. So explain this to me. A few years ago I had my electric service upgraded and when the guy from the electric company hooked me back up I was shocked-har har as he took the mains coming from the transformer- 600 amps, one wire in each hand wearing only leather gloves. Now how did those leather gloves protect him from that voltage. I thought you needed rubber for that.

Wasn't he holding the insulation, not the metal part of the wire ?

mvcrash, being from North Jersey, may remember about thirty years ago..... A guy working for Public Service , lineman, had just finished doing his job on a pole in one of those bucket trucks. He noticed that the cross member that supports the wires wasn't quite level. He reached out and grabbed it to level it and somehow shorted it out through his arms, burning both off at the elbows. He survived but lost both arms.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Okay, thanks for the answers. So explain this to me. A few years ago I had my electric service upgraded and when the guy from the electric company hooked me back up I was shocked-har har as he took the mains coming from the transformer- 600 amps, one wire in each hand wearing only leather gloves. Now how did those leather gloves protect him from that voltage. I thought you needed rubber for that.

Was he holding the main wires going IN the transformer ? (the top wire on the telephone pole) Cuz that's 12kV.... It'll make you dryer than a piece of old toast within seconds. Even rubber gloves wouldn't do much to protect you. But if it's the wires coming OUT of the transformer feeding the bottom wires of the telephone pole, I believe that's 240V. A thick pair of leather gloves should be enough insulation to protect your electrician.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Okay, thanks for the answers. So explain this to me. A few years ago I had my electric service upgraded and when the guy from the electric company hooked me back up I was shocked-har har as he took the mains coming from the transformer- 600 amps, one wire in each hand wearing only leather gloves. Now how did those leather gloves protect him from that voltage. I thought you needed rubber for that.

You need insulation/ islolation. It need not be "rubber".

And there may be more that you did not see, notice or know.
Folk that work with the "mains" coming into homes
only get to make one mistake as a rule.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Okay, thanks for the answers. So explain this to me. A few years ago I had my electric service upgraded and when the guy from the electric company hooked me back up I was shocked-har har as he took the mains coming from the transformer- 600 amps, one wire in each hand wearing only leather gloves. Now how did those leather gloves protect him from that voltage. I thought you needed rubber for that.

a) those 'leather' gloves are rubber on the inside... they have a leather covering so the rubber innards won't puncture as easily.
b) that transformer has a throw switch that turns it on via a fiberglass hook pole - probably energized after the meter was plugged in to the base. Linemen are very wary of public sector electricians they don't know, homeowners and others of ill repute that might cause a fireball to ensue due to a neutral feed plugged into one of the phase terminals.
c) safety protocols would have prevented him from working on live voltage without the proper equipment, or in a safe manner...

I once worked for an electrical contractor who had been a lineman for the power company. He burned up more tools than anyone I ever knew because he refused to de-energize cicuits while working on them. I couldn't afford to buy a new set of Kleins every day of the week, but he did. I guess he thought working with 'low voltage' was pretty boring - but those 40 dollar pliers with big holes blown in them weren't that cool in my book.

The last pair I bought was in 2003. I'm sure he's bought 200 since then.