Is it the volts or amps that kill? (video from "styropyro") - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: niconiconi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2023, 05:34:07 am
content: Great video.I like the electronic instrumentation here. In this 20 minutes video styropyro demonstrated four quantitative measurements:1. Dielectric breakdown that occurs only with a high-voltage source.2. Measurement of ESD current waveform from a Van De Graaff generator using a coaxial shunt resistor and an oscilloscope. (before anyone starts nitpicking - it's not truly coaxial, just a low-inductance design with a ground plane and a coaxial output port - I also found the coaxial shunt resistor happens to be useful for a surge generator I'm in the process of building).3. Measurement of Tesla coil output current with a Current Transformer via an oscilloscope, and also with a vintage thermocouple RF ammeter.4. Measurement of Tesla coil output voltage with a vacuum capacitior voltage divider.As a non-technical pop-sci video with the primary goal of entertaining the audience, I'm quite impressed about the presentation and experiments. Hopefully this video will bring an end to the oversimplified misconception that "it's not volt that kills, it's the amp."

author: AnalogTodd
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2023, 06:29:09 pm
content: Good video, covers a lot of information that most people won't bother to ever learn. Basically, there are a number of factors that come into play to determine if an electric shock could be lethal. Depending on the field someone goes into, it can be a lot easier to teach them simple mantras. An electric lineman, for example, really needs to think about amperage flow as it is all low frequency (50-60Hz) and almost always high enough voltage (>100V) to be dangerous. Someone working on a low voltage logic board may never even consider their job dangerous.Some things not covered but should be considered:1. Dielectric breakdown is an effect, but one must consider that once an outer layer like the apple peel (or human skin for that matter) is breached, the impedance drops significantly. Put a plastic film over salt water, it won't conduct electricity well, but get the voltage high enough to get dielectric breakdown of the plastic film and burn a hole in it and the impedance goes WAAAY down.2. Entry and exit points of the body are critical considerations as well. You can get serious electrical burns from voltages and currents (at appropriate frequencies) that are more than sufficient to normally kill a human, but even with these conditions you don't die. If the entry and exit points are on a single limb, for example, the likelihood of death is lower as the electricity does not travel through vital organs.One thing I enjoyed seeing was the pickle experiment at about 6:40! We used to do this regularly at the company where I worked!

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2023, 06:34:07 pm
content: Of course, the worst path for an electrocuting current to take is through the heart, since it interferes seriously with the intrinsic relaxation oscillation of the waveform through the cardiac muscle.That's why electrical stuff connected directly to a patient in a hospital bed has much more sensitive safety equipment than normal appliances.

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2023, 07:11:58 pm
content: @6:58 The gas farting future of pickle powered rocket space flight...