Get shock from a standard transformer?

Less than that in fact.

The voltage is to low to do any harm. You're probably drawing microamps.

Graham

Can you explain this to me? Because I know that its the current which counts, like, for instance in those transparent balls that when you touch them you draw a small lightning - they contain something like thousands of volts, right? and they don't electrify you. Also, where I work they use 24vDC rt amplifiers that go up to 1000w, so they use 20-30A, and they _can_ shock you, despite the relatively low

Try wetting your fingers first. If that doesn't work, wet your fingers with salt water (lick them). Remember to use the same hand for both leads. You don't want any current running thru your heart.

The 12V is enough voltage. It's the amps that kill. We tell the people just starting into electronics that 100mA is enough to kill you if it goes across your heart.

Are you saying that if I do that on my transformer I _will_ get zapped?

The 1000mA or 1500 mA is what the power supply is _capable_ of providing. Since it's a constant voltage supply, the current drawn by the load (in this case, you) is _inversely_ proportional to the resistance of the load, and the resistance of dry skin is in the tens to hundreds of thousands of ohms.

Hope this Helps! Rich

oh ok... thanx!

While small ammounts of current (anything over about .05 amps , or 50 ma) is very dangerous through the outside of the body, it has to do with the resistance of your skin. Normal dry skin resistance is a few 100, 000s ohms or more. The 12 volts from the transformer can not force much current through that resistance. Plug it into the I=e/r equation. That is the most current that can be drawn from the transformer will be atleast 100,000 ohms devided by 12 volts. That is way below the .001 amp that it takes for most people to feel on the outside of the skin. If you apply 12 volts directly to the heart or brain where it is wet and a short distance apart, then it may be dangerous. If you take a 9 volt battery and touch it to your mouth where it is wet and the resistance is much less than 100,000 ohms then enough current will be drawn to be felt.

You have to understand that no mater how much current a power source can supply, it is the resistance in the circuit that limiates the current drawn.

Your 12v transformer can deliver up to 1000ma into a load. If you hook a 12 ohm resistor across the transformer output, the voltage across the resistor would be 12v and 1000ma would be flowing through it.

Luckily for you, your skin resistance is much, much higher than 12 ohms so if you touch the terminals only a tiny fraction of 1000ma flows through your body. As others have suggested, you can increase the current flow by wetting your hands with water or salt water to reduce your skin resistance. If you are unlucky enough to break the skin with the terminals, you would present an even lower resistance.

Can you explain this to me? Because I know that its the current which counts, like, for instance in those transparent balls that when you touch them you draw a small lightning - they contain something like thousands of volts, right? and they don't electrify you. Also, where I work they use 24vDC rt amplifiers that go up to 1000w, so they use 20-30A, and they _can_ shock you, despite the relatively low

pls ignore this message... I sent it about an hour ago :-b

In addition to what others have posted, note that at RF frequencies there may be a greater ability to punch through the dead skin cells at the surface which are causing the skin resistance to be so high. So don't mess around with this!

Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis