Dear All,
When I search on the internet, I found the following sentence on almost every site: "It's not voltage that kills, it's current!" Without the existence of voltage, current will not produce. So, how can we justify the above? Both are required to kill a person – current as well as voltage.
During my discussion with someone today, I mentioned the sentence: "It's not voltage that kills, it's current!" However, I was unable to justify my answer in the end.
Can 24V kill a person? Normally, we consider a 24V supply as a safe voltage, but can this 24 voltage still kill a person?
Can anyone provide a solution to my query? I hope to receive some solutions to the above two queries.
Thanks in advance.
From India
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730When I search on the internet, I found the following sentence on almost every site: "It's not voltage that kills, it's current!" Without the existence of voltage, current will not produce. So, how can we justify the above? Both are required to kill a person – current as well as voltage.
During my discussion with someone today, I mentioned the sentence: "It's not voltage that kills, it's current!" However, I was unable to justify my answer in the end.
Can 24V kill a person? Normally, we consider a 24V supply as a safe voltage, but can this 24 voltage still kill a person?
Can anyone provide a solution to my query? I hope to receive some solutions to the above two queries.
Thanks in advance.
From India
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Dear Mr. Dipil,
Still, I am unable to understand the current, voltage, and ampere. Even though the power supply is 24 volts, if the amperage is higher, it can be lethal. (This was mentioned by an electrical engineer, but I am struggling to grasp it). There are many things in this world that we are unable to comprehend, and this is one of them.
Let us look forward to hearing from our knowledgeable members.
From India, Kumbakonam
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Still, I am unable to understand the current, voltage, and ampere. Even though the power supply is 24 volts, if the amperage is higher, it can be lethal. (This was mentioned by an electrical engineer, but I am struggling to grasp it). There are many things in this world that we are unable to comprehend, and this is one of them.
Let us look forward to hearing from our knowledgeable members.
From India, Kumbakonam
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Dear Dipil,
Kindly visit the following links. I hope you can get a satisfactory answer.
- [What kills people: current or voltage](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_kills_people_current_or_voltage)
- [Which kills humans: voltage or current](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_is_kill_the_human_voltage_or_current)
Regards,
Sandy
From India, Lucknow
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Kindly visit the following links. I hope you can get a satisfactory answer.
- [What kills people: current or voltage](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_kills_people_current_or_voltage)
- [Which kills humans: voltage or current](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_is_kill_the_human_voltage_or_current)
Regards,
Sandy
From India, Lucknow
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Dilip,
Current never kills a person; it's voltage. Think of a situation where you are hanging in the air with the help of a current wire. The current will move through your body, but it will not kill you because there is no voltage difference between your body parts. You can see birds sitting on a current wire, but they do not die. The same goes if your body is touching the earth or any other electricity conducting materials; it will create a voltage difference between your body parts and can lead to death. So, it's clear that voltage differences kill a person, not current.
If the voltage difference is just 24 V, it can't kill a person but can cause harm.
I hope this clears your query! If not, please respond here.
From India, New Delhi
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Current never kills a person; it's voltage. Think of a situation where you are hanging in the air with the help of a current wire. The current will move through your body, but it will not kill you because there is no voltage difference between your body parts. You can see birds sitting on a current wire, but they do not die. The same goes if your body is touching the earth or any other electricity conducting materials; it will create a voltage difference between your body parts and can lead to death. So, it's clear that voltage differences kill a person, not current.
If the voltage difference is just 24 V, it can't kill a person but can cause harm.
I hope this clears your query! If not, please respond here.
From India, New Delhi
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There are various criteria concerning the causes of fatal effects of electricity, which are relevant to current, voltage, amperes, and the body resistance level of a human being. For the correct answer to your question, you may please try to check the following link that explains in brief different aspects about the fatal effects of electric current: [Electric Current Needed to Kill a Human](http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/JackHsu.shtml)
From India, Delhi
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From India, Delhi
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Dear All,
The quantity of current is the one that determines the type of damage caused to the human body. However, the quantity of current is decided by the voltage and resistance of the victim at the time of contact.
The severity of shock is determined by the quantity of current flow:
- 1 milliamp: Skin tingling
- 9 milliamps: Starts freezing of muscles
- 30 milliamps: Breathing difficulty
- 75 milliamps: Breathing stops
- 100 to 200 milliamps: Ventricular Fibrillation of the Heart
BS Gopala Krishna
bskrishnagopala@gmail.com
9731398860
EHS Consultant, Bangalore
From India, Bangalore
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The quantity of current is the one that determines the type of damage caused to the human body. However, the quantity of current is decided by the voltage and resistance of the victim at the time of contact.
The severity of shock is determined by the quantity of current flow:
- 1 milliamp: Skin tingling
- 9 milliamps: Starts freezing of muscles
- 30 milliamps: Breathing difficulty
- 75 milliamps: Breathing stops
- 100 to 200 milliamps: Ventricular Fibrillation of the Heart
BS Gopala Krishna
bskrishnagopala@gmail.com
9731398860
EHS Consultant, Bangalore
From India, Bangalore
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Dear Mr. Dipil,
Attached is a PowerPoint presentation which is self-explanatory. I was invited to the Government College of Polytechnic where I delivered this presentation for the professors as part of a "Train the Trainer" session. This was conducted under the Industry/Government Institutes Partnership program.
Thanks, Sudhir
From India, Vadodara
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Attached is a PowerPoint presentation which is self-explanatory. I was invited to the Government College of Polytechnic where I delivered this presentation for the professors as part of a "Train the Trainer" session. This was conducted under the Industry/Government Institutes Partnership program.
Thanks, Sudhir
From India, Vadodara
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Dear Pon,
I do not think that this is a childish question. If you analyze the replies given by our members, you can find the controversy. If you feel this is a childish question, please come up with an answer supported by technical explanations.
Quoting the following sentence from another website, can you go through it and share your views?
Provided a much lower body resistance figure augmented by contact with a ring (a band of gold wrapped around the circumference of one's finger makes an excellent contact point for electrical shock) or full contact with a large metal object such as a pipe or metal handle of a tool, the body resistance figure could drop as low as 1,000 ohms (1 kΩ), allowing an even lower voltage to present a potential hazard:
E = IR
E = (20 mA)(1 kΩ)
E = 20 volts
Notice that in this condition, 20 volts is enough to produce a current of 20 milliamps through a person, enough to induce tetanus. Remember, it has been suggested that a current of only 17 milliamps may induce ventricular (heart) fibrillation. With a hand-to-hand resistance of 1000 Ω, it would only take 17 volts to create this dangerous condition.
Be specific and try to give a positive response instead of just throwing negative comments. We are here to discuss issues and bring out the best possible solutions that will be beneficial to all. If you still feel it is a childish question, please ignore it and don't waste your precious time replying.
Thank you.
From India
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I do not think that this is a childish question. If you analyze the replies given by our members, you can find the controversy. If you feel this is a childish question, please come up with an answer supported by technical explanations.
Quoting the following sentence from another website, can you go through it and share your views?
Provided a much lower body resistance figure augmented by contact with a ring (a band of gold wrapped around the circumference of one's finger makes an excellent contact point for electrical shock) or full contact with a large metal object such as a pipe or metal handle of a tool, the body resistance figure could drop as low as 1,000 ohms (1 kΩ), allowing an even lower voltage to present a potential hazard:
E = IR
E = (20 mA)(1 kΩ)
E = 20 volts
Notice that in this condition, 20 volts is enough to produce a current of 20 milliamps through a person, enough to induce tetanus. Remember, it has been suggested that a current of only 17 milliamps may induce ventricular (heart) fibrillation. With a hand-to-hand resistance of 1000 Ω, it would only take 17 volts to create this dangerous condition.
Be specific and try to give a positive response instead of just throwing negative comments. We are here to discuss issues and bring out the best possible solutions that will be beneficial to all. If you still feel it is a childish question, please ignore it and don't waste your precious time replying.
Thank you.
From India
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Dear All
Sorry for not responding to any of the reply’s... I will review and replying to all the replies after tomorrow... I am appearing to my exams and little bit busy in my studies... Thanks a lot to all for participation and giving excellent views...
I am very happy to see many reply’s to this thread...
Keep on sharing your expertise...
From India
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Sorry for not responding to any of the reply’s... I will review and replying to all the replies after tomorrow... I am appearing to my exams and little bit busy in my studies... Thanks a lot to all for participation and giving excellent views...
I am very happy to see many reply’s to this thread...
Keep on sharing your expertise...
From India
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Dear All,
But Mr. Gopala Krishna, in our markets, the ELCBs are available, which only break the circuits when the leakage is more than 30 milliamps. Will it not cause any damage to the life or body parts of the victim?
The quantity of current is the determining factor in the type of damage caused to the human body. The quantity of current is influenced by the voltage and resistance of the victim at the time of contact.
The severity of a shock is determined by the quantity of current flow:
- 1 milliamp - Skin tingling
- 9 milliamps - Starts freezing of muscles
- 30 milliamps - Breathing difficulty
- 75 milliamps - Breathing stops
- 100 to 200 milliamps - Ventricular Fibrillation of Heart
Best regards,
BS Gopala Krishna
EHS Consultant, Bangalore
Email: bskrishnagopala@gmail.com
Phone: 9731398860
From India, Kumbakonam
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But Mr. Gopala Krishna, in our markets, the ELCBs are available, which only break the circuits when the leakage is more than 30 milliamps. Will it not cause any damage to the life or body parts of the victim?
The quantity of current is the determining factor in the type of damage caused to the human body. The quantity of current is influenced by the voltage and resistance of the victim at the time of contact.
The severity of a shock is determined by the quantity of current flow:
- 1 milliamp - Skin tingling
- 9 milliamps - Starts freezing of muscles
- 30 milliamps - Breathing difficulty
- 75 milliamps - Breathing stops
- 100 to 200 milliamps - Ventricular Fibrillation of Heart
Best regards,
BS Gopala Krishna
EHS Consultant, Bangalore
Email: bskrishnagopala@gmail.com
Phone: 9731398860
From India, Kumbakonam
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