If I touch a +12V DC line that can supply up to 6 Amps, will I die? Or just get really hurt?

Neither. 12V won't hurt you. If it touches bare flesh such as through a wound it'll probably make you jump though.

Graham

Yeah the ECAP on the strobe flash I touched (by accident) a while back must have discharged around 300 volts, not discounting amperage, which is the real killer.

No. The lowest voltage I have heard of being fatal was 70 VDC from an aircraft starter; except for patients in hospital with heart monitors etc. where much lower voltages can be fatal. My boss used to shove his thumb into

240 VAC lamp sockets to see if the power was on or not. I wouldn't recommend that - or do it.

I used to know a guy, in my vidoe days, who could tell the difference between H, V , mixed syncs by puting the the BNC on his tongue

martin

Normally, neither.

The current that actually flows, is determined by the good old I=V/R formula. The current _capability_, does not enter this equation at all, until 'I' exceeds the capability. With shoes, a guide figure for human body resistance, is 10000R (with a damp hand, and damp leather shoes). With dry shoes, this leaps to over 1MR. Without shoes, and standing in water, a figure as low as 1000R may apply. Now the maximum 'harmless' current, is normally taken at 5mA. Above this can become painful, then dangerous. 8-15mA, gives a 'mild shock', while you have to go over 20mA, to be really dangerous. So, with the 10000 figure, 12v, will not generate enough current to be dangerous. If you are in the exceptional circumstances, of standing on a wet floor, with wet hands, and gripping the wire tightly, or with a pin that pierces your skin, then you can just reach the 'mild shock' figure. Danger, really begins at about 50V, where in the circumstances of 'hand to hand' contact across the body, with wet hands, the current becomes high enough to make fatality really possible. A camera strobe capacitor, will typically be charged to over 300v, which is why it really hurt.

Best Wishes

hi, perfect solution u have given. but tell me how come when one tastes a

9VDC bty on the tip of the toungue, one gets an acidic taste if the bty is brand new? sanjeev

The small current from the battery excites the tongue's taste sensors.

Nothing. 12 volts is not enough to drive a substantial current through the human body.

What you're unclear on is the relation between volts and amps. You won't be safe around electricity until you go back to the high school physics book and get clear on that.

Probably not.

If you hold a 9V battery against your wet skin, then lick that skin, it has the same bitter taste as a 9V battery against your tongue. And, whenever metal parts are placed in salt water and connected to a DC supply, electrolysis makes them corrode.

So you're probably tasting CORRODED METAL on your tongue.

And are the terminals of 9V batteries plated with cadmium, hmm?

:)

((((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( (o) ) ) ))))))))))))))))))))))) William J. Beaty Research Engineer snipped-for-privacy@chem.washington.edu UW Chem Dept, Bagley Hall RM74 snipped-for-privacy@eskimo.com Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700 ph425-222-5066 http//staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/

In message , dated Sat, 26 Aug 2006, Bill Beaty writes

Nickel.

-- OOO - Own Opinions Only. Try

and

2006 is YMMVI- Your mileage may vary immensely.

John Woodgate, J M Woodgate and Associates, Rayleigh, Essex UK

I assume that all nickel compounds aren't lethal. Though I recall that there's some nickel compound that's pretty bad. And only a few people have a bad reaction (i.e. nickel-plated jewlery.)

Here's another one to try:

The tongue senses sourness by detecting protons (H+) in solution. Make a weak solution of lemon juice in water and apply the negative lead from a 9V battery to it while holding the positive lead in your wet fingers. The lemon juice will lose its sourness and taste slightly salty instead. You can do the same with plain water and observe "complementary afterimages" as you make and break the circuit. Try reversing the polarity.

-- Joe Legris

12V is surely enough. You can drop dead by using your body to close a circuit to a 12v Car Battery. I don't think you know what you are talking about.

All metals have a bitter nasty taste.

Quote a case.

I have touched both terminals of 12 volt batteries many times and felt nothing. My threshold of sensation is around 40 volts, unless I contact the voltage with a mucous membrane (I.e. my tongue).

I believe you might have a risk of shock with 12 volts if you have an open chest and put conductors across your heart and apply 12 volts to those, but if you apply 12 volts across dry skin, the current is very low, since skin resistance is so high.

It's simply a question of amount. All soluble heavy metal compounds are toxic if you ingest enough, even iron (but we need large amounts of that, of course).

Any [1] heavy-metal cyanide is very bad, not because of the metal but the company it keeps. (;-)

[1] Mercurous cyanide is alleged to be an exception, because it is highly insoluble. This leads to the idea of giving potassium cyanide as an antidote to mercury poisoning. Dose needs to be quite accurate. (;-)

--
OOO - Own Opinions Only. Try www.jmwa.demon.co.uk and www.isce.org.uk
2006 is YMMVI- Your mileage may vary immensely.

John Woodgate, J M Woodgate and Associates, Rayleigh, Essex UK

???

So that's why most of the western world has settled to using silver or stainless steel to insert food into our mouths. Also why we cook a lot of it on steels or aluminum.

You really are just trolling, aren't you? Maybe you should go commit suicide by 12V car battery. If you find the voltage and current don't do it through wet fingers, test by taking a heavy gage wire from one terminal, touch it to a ring on your finger and then press the ring onto the other battery terminal. If you have proven the battery is not dead, then have somebody drop the battery out of a 2nd or 3rd story window onto your head. Your finger will stop hurting and things will be a bit quieter here.