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Uneducated people often say "It's the current that kills, not the voltage", but this is a myth. Current cannot flow without voltage to push it.
While it's possible for a low voltage 12 V car battery to drive hundreds of amps of current through a wrench and cause the wrench to melt or the battery to explode, it's harmless to put your hands across the terminals of a car battery. Why? Because your skin's resistance is far higher than the wrench's. Even though car batteries can produce high current under certain conditions, it's not possible for a low voltage source to drive a high current through a human.
(That doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful around car batteries. Anything that can release large amounts of energy is dangerous, whether a current source or a voltage source, but in the case of car batteries, it's only a danger of explosions or burns; they can't harm you electrically.)
The myth may have started because static electricity (like scuffing feet across a carpet) builds up thousands of volts, and the discharge obviously isn't harmful. Again, the myth is wrong. The harmlessness of static shocks is not due to low current. They're actually relatively high current: several amps. The reason static shocks are harmless is because they are extremely short in duration. The amps of current only flow for a fraction of a microsecond, which isn't enough time to cause any damage.
The current through the heart is what kills you. It only takes a few milliamps to disrupt the heartbeat. (About 15mA for men and 10mA for women, though this varies from person to person.)
Your body has resistance, and it is very high. This is why high voltage is dangerous, low voltages cannot cause the amount of current to flow that is deadly. High voltages can. Remember ohms law here: V = IR where V is voltage, R is resistance, and I is current. What to know how much voltage will kill you? Take a ohmmeter and hold one lead in each hand, then multiply the reading by 0.025 (25mA).
Electrical burns are from power dissipation in your body. This is a product of both voltage and current. As the voltage forces the current through you, the resistance in you causes power dissipation. This power builds up has heat and burns you. Remember the formulas: P = IV and V = IR, so P = V2/R.
To summarize, current is what messes you up, and it is a function of voltage.
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∙ 11y ago
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Will 450v kill you?
As I recall from my engineering courses, it is not the voltage that kills you but the current. So 450 Volts at a low current may not kill you.
What is interceptors?
a guy/girl who kills people
What is the voltage in Portugal?
The local current is 220 volts and ground connection is made by a 2 pin plug.
What does plague do to people?
Kills them. Over 3/4 of Europe died.
How does the electric chair work?
It works by passing a high voltage current through your body One of the terminals is strapped to your skull and the other terminal is strapped to your ankles. When the circuit is closed it passes the current through your body which shocks the heart and stops its beating action.
Can voltage difference or resistance kill you first?
Neither, it is current that kills.
They say current is what kills people and not voltage but why then in electronics does high voltage burn your components but high current does not?
This is a 'chicken and egg' situation. The current passing through your body is determined by the voltage applied across your body, together with the resistance of the current path. So whilst it is true that it is the current that harms you, the voltage has to be high enough to cause the necessary amount of current to flow. In other words, it is equally valid to say that it is the voltage level that causes electrocution. An analogy might be, which kills you: the height through which you fall, or hitting the ground? Obviously, hitting the ground is what kills you, but the height from which you fall determines how hard you are going to hit the ground. As far as damage to electrical circuits is concerned, excessive voltage is responsible for insulation breakdown, while current is responsible for components to overheat. So high current will most certainly damage those components.
If getting electrocuted at 10000 volts can kill you why is it that the majority of people survive lightning strikes?
lightning is pure voltage with no current. Current is what kills you not the amount of voltage
Will 450v kill you?
As I recall from my engineering courses, it is not the voltage that kills you but the current. So 450 Volts at a low current may not kill you.
Why high voltage does not kill?
Its not voltage that kills it is current.High voltage CAN kill, if it can also provide high current (especially if the current comes near the heart as it takes under 1mA to stop the heart which isn't much current).However if the high voltage source is current limited and/or the current only passes through the extremities it is very unlikely to kill.
Is it true that volts jolt but current kills?
Yes it is true that volts jolt but current kills. Current can kill you if it is high enough, and if it goes through your heart then it will most definitely kill you. Only a small amount of current is capable of killing some one. If the voltage is high enough it can send the current through your body and to your heart.
Which electrical component regulates current and voltage?
People have used a ballast for current regulation and you can use a breakdown diode for voltage regulation.
What is the relationship among voltage current and resistance in a circuit?
Voltage = (current) x (resistance) Current = (voltage)/(resistance) Resistance = (voltage)/(current)
What is a relationship among voltage current and resistance in a circuit?
Voltage = (current) x (resistance) Current = (voltage)/(resistance) Resistance = (voltage)/(current)
Can there be a current with no voltage?
No, There can't Be current without voltage
What is the relationship among voltage circuit and resistance in a circuit?
Voltage = (current) x (resistance) Current = (voltage)/(resistance) Resistance = (voltage)/(current)
Why current leads in capaciter?
Capacitors resist a change in voltage. It takes current to effect a voltage change, resulting in the current "leading" the voltage. Similarly, inductors resist a change in current. It takes voltage to effect a current change, resulting in the current "lagging" the voltage.
