It's The Current That Kills The real measure of shock's intensity lies in the amount of current (amperes) forced though the body, and not the voltage. Any electrical device used on a house wiring circuit can, under certain conditions, transmit a fatal current.
A good rule of thumb is that when a shock is at or above 2,700 volts, it often results in death or severe injury. At over 11,000 volts, the victim will usually pass away. A good rule of thumb is that when a shock is at or above 2,700 volts, the person often dies or experiences severe injury.
Your body's resistance is roughly equal regardless of the voltage across it. (See note at the end.) Current goes according to Ohm's law V=IR, so more voltage at fixed resistance means more current. More current is generally more dangerous, especially if it's passing through you.
Yes it is still dangerous. People can be electrocuted by coming into contact with 100-200 volts and there have been reports of injuries or death resulting from being shocked with as little as 42 volts.
A shock from a 240V wall plug can be lethal but isn't always unlike touching a high voltage source such as fallen power lines which is often an instant death sentence.
Any electrical device used on a house wiring circuit can, under certain conditions, transmit a fatal current. While any amount of current over 10 milliamps (0.01 amp) is capable of producing painful to severe shock, currents between 100 and 200 mA (0.1 to 0.2 amp) are lethal.
An electric shock from a 240 volt power point can kill you, but on a dry day your car door can zap you with 10,000 volts and just make you swear.
The human body has an inherent high resistance to electric current, which means without sufficient voltage a dangerous amount of current cannot flow through the body and cause injury or death. As a rough rule of thumb, more than fifty volts is sufficient to drive a potentially lethal current through the body.
Exposure to voltages less than 50V a.c. is generally considered low risk in electrical safety terms. An electric shock at 50V a.c. is unlikely to be fatal, however it can still be painful and may cause a related accident from a reaction to the shock. Voltages greater than 450V a.c. are especially dangerous.
Contact with both live wires of a 240-volt cable will deliver a shock. (This type of shock can occur because one live wire may be at +120 volts while the other is at -120 volts during an alternating current cycle—a difference of 240 volts.).
Death is possible. 1.0 to 4.3 Amps Rhythmic pumping action of the heart ceases. Muscular contraction and nerve damage occur; death is likely. 10 Amps Cardiac arrest, severe burns, death is probable.
Weather.gov > Safety > How Powerful Is Lightning? A typical lightning flash is about 300 million Volts and about 30,000 Amps. In comparison, household current is 120 Volts and 15 Amps.
The electrical output of the TASER is 50,000 Volts. The voltage may seem high, but the amperage on both systems is well below safe limits. ADVANCED TASER M26 output is 3.6mA average current (0.0036 Amps) The X26 output is 2.1mA (0.0021 Amps). The output of the M26 into a human body is a fraction of the dangerous level.
Once the skin is punctured, the lowered resistance results in massive current flow. Ohm's law is used to demonstrate the action. At 1,000 volts, Current = Volts/Ohms = 1,000/500 = 2 Amps which can cause cardiac arrest and serious damage to internal organs.
Each neuron in the brain possesses the ability to accumulate a charge across its cell membrane, which results in a small, but meaningful voltage. The average neuron contains a resting voltage of approximately 70 millivolts or 0.07 volts.
Voltage and Amperage
High voltages greater than 500-1000 Volts cause deep burns and extensive deep tissue and organ damage. Low voltage exposures tend to result in lesser injury.
12V isn't a shock hazard, but it IS a burn hazard.
Even without a short circuit, if you make or break an electrical connection that has a lot of current going through it, the point at which the connection is made can get very hot very quickly and can burn your fingers.
At 600 volts, the current through the body may be as great as 4 amps, causing damage to internal organs, such as the heart. High voltages also produce burns. In addition, internal blood vessels may clot. Nerves in the area of the contact point may be damaged.
Currents greater than 500 volts are considered “high-voltage” and are more likely to cause electrical burns, internal injuries, and cardiac arrest.
The human body feels a shock when the voltage is higher than about 3,500 volts. Walking over a carpet can generate 35,000 volts.
An electrical current at 1,000 volts is no more deadly than a current at 100 volts. But tiny changes in a current's amperage can mean the difference between life and death when a person receives an electrical shock.
120v/100,000Ω=0.0012 amperes which equals 1.2mA. A person may feel a slight tingling sensation. The severity of shock from a given source will depend upon its path through your body.
You may lose your balance and fall, which can cause injury or even death if you fall into machinery that can crush you. High voltages can also cause severe burns (as seen on pages 9 and 10). At 600 volts, the current through the body may be as great as 4 amps, causing damage to internal organs such as the heart.
Amps are what stops your heart and kills you. As little as 100 mA (1/10th of an amp) can potentially be fatal. 480 volt circuits are absolutely capable of delivering much more than 100mA of current. So, while it's possible to survive contact with 480, I certainly wouldn't recommend it.