Voltage is the fundamental force or pressure that causes electricity to flow through a conductor and is measured in volts. Resistance is anything that impedes the flow of electricity through a conductor and is measured in Ohms. In each cycle the electrons flow first in one direction, then the other. For example, when current from an overhead powerline is run through a pole-mounted transformer, it can be stepped down to normal household current. A ground is a conducting connection, whether or not unintentional, between an electrical circuit or equipment and the earth, or to some conducting body that serves in place of the earth.
Electrocution results when a human is exposed to a lethal amount of electrical energy.
For death to occur, the human body must become part of an active electrical circuit having a current capable of overstimulating the nervous system or causing damage to internal organs. Direct contact and arcing injuries produce similar effects. Burns at the point of contact with electrical energy can be caused by arcing to the skin, heating at the point of contact by a high-resistance contact, or higher voltage currents. Contact with a source of electrical energy can cause external as well as internal burns. Exposure to higher voltages will normally result in burns at the sites where the electrical current enters and exits the human body.