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Electric shock path of current

Newfutile

We all know not to touch a live (line) conductor, but how does the current flow to give an electric shock or perceived electric shock?

Conventional wisdom says its via resistance of the hands , skin and feet but we all wear thick rubber soles and could be on a carpet on a timber floor.

I have done test at 250v DC touching one probe while the other is connected to the MET the meter was unable to detect anything and i felt nothing but i would not try this with AC.

Therefore to me that leaves inductive and / or capacitive coupling.

Does anyone here have any explanation of this effect?

Parents
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    There is no problem touching a live mains part, so long as you are not in contact with anything else.

    I can vouch for that from my mis-spent youth (I seemed to have a very conscientious guardian angel). Not so long ago, and not very far from here, having a non-conductive location (e.g. bedrooms, living rooms) was considered sufficient to provide protection against electric shock and earthing of sockets etc. wasn't bothered with - only places like kitchens and bathrooms had earthing contacts on their sockets.

    It is relatively easy to find something "earthy" to complete the circuit for a shock though - indoors metallic plumbing and attached accessories (e.g. radiators) - class 1 appliances plugged into an earthed socket, even damp floors or walls (e.g. older properties that date before the days of damp proof membranes) and of course outdoors there's likely to be all sort of metalwork stuck into the ground (from gates/posts, fencing, pretty rose arches, lamp posts etc etc).

       - Andy.

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  • 0

    There is no problem touching a live mains part, so long as you are not in contact with anything else.

    I can vouch for that from my mis-spent youth (I seemed to have a very conscientious guardian angel). Not so long ago, and not very far from here, having a non-conductive location (e.g. bedrooms, living rooms) was considered sufficient to provide protection against electric shock and earthing of sockets etc. wasn't bothered with - only places like kitchens and bathrooms had earthing contacts on their sockets.

    It is relatively easy to find something "earthy" to complete the circuit for a shock though - indoors metallic plumbing and attached accessories (e.g. radiators) - class 1 appliances plugged into an earthed socket, even damp floors or walls (e.g. older properties that date before the days of damp proof membranes) and of course outdoors there's likely to be all sort of metalwork stuck into the ground (from gates/posts, fencing, pretty rose arches, lamp posts etc etc).

       - Andy.

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