Question: what voltage (in electrizity) can humans stand before they die
Keywords: electricshock, voltage, withstand
Comments
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oh so it dependes on what is causing the volts
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On how much current (measured in Amperes, not Volts) it can supply. The hair comb (or a Van De Graaf generator – see http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/vdg.htm) can generate lots of volts, but only tiny amps. A car battery has only 12 volts (usually; many trucks have 24) but can generate 200 Amps. Fortunately it does not have enough voltage to push that many Amps through your body, because there is a formula that involves the resistance of your body to the current, the number of Volts and the maximum number of Amps that can flow.
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oh ok
bates
It is not the voltage that kills you, but the amount of current and also where it passes. A very small current passing near your heart can stop it beating because it is controlled by electricity.
I think people have been killed by as little as 50 volts (they were very unlucky). On the other hand, when you comb your hair on a sunny day and make sparks, there are thousands of volts but you hardly feel it.
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