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For you to get electrocuted your body needs a return path for the voltage to get back to ground. Usually your shoes break this return path. Even though your whole body is up to the 240 volt potential you will not feel it. If the soles of your shoes were leather, or standing in water there might be a chance of getting a jolt but if you are in bare feet you would get the full force of the 240 volts. The only thing governing the amperage through your body is the internal resistance of your body. It just takes milliamps to kill. Below is a chart of the amount of milliamps a body can take.
Less than 1/2 milliamp no sensation
1/2 to 2 milliamps Threshold of perception
2 to 10 milliamps muscular contraction
5 to 25 milliamps painful shock (may not be able to let go)
Over 25 milliamps Could be violent muscular contraction
50 to 100 milliamps Ventricular fibrillation
over 100 paralysis of breathing.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
When you touch a 240V wire, whether or not you get electrocuted depends on multiple factors including current flow, resistance of your body, and the path the electricity takes in your body. You may not get electrocuted because the voltage alone is not a strong indicator of the severity of the shock - it's the current that does the harm. If you have high resistance, like dry skin, the current passing through your body can be low, reducing the chance of a severe shock.
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Why should you not use an iron rod to push a live wire?
Iron rod is a conductive material. You will get electrocuted if you touch a live wire with any conductive material like iron rod. It could be fatal to do so.
Bats cannot touch electrical wires?
False. Bats are capable of avoiding electrical wires while flying, as they use echolocation to navigate their surroundings. However, if a bat were to accidentally come into contact with an electrical wire, it could potentially be electrocuted.
How can a bird go on a wire and not die?
Birds don't get electrocuted unless they touch something else besides just the wire -- the electricity will then flow through their bodies toward whatever they're touching. Sometimes you do see birds that have been killed by the electric wires.
Why is there no neutral on a 240 cooktop?
A 240V cooktop does not have a neutral wire because it operates on a 240V split-phase system, where 240V is supplied by two hot wires, with no need for a neutral wire. The two hot wires provide the necessary power for the cooktop to operate efficiently.
How do you hook up a 3 wire water herter to 4 wire circut?
4 wire household wiring is black, red, (hot wires) white (neutral) and bare or green (ground wire). You say 3 wires. Is it 120v or 240v. If its 240v which is more common just use the two hots and the ground and cap off the neutral wire.
Why do electrical tools have insulating handles?
because if you touch a wire you might get electrocuted
How does bird land in wires without getting electrocuted?
The outside of cables is coated in a protective sleeve - that insulates the wire from the weather. So long as the bird doesn't touch the conductor - it's fine.
Why do copper wires need to be coated in plastic?
To stop them shorting out with one another when they touch and to prevent people from being electrocuted by touching a bare wire.
Why should you not use an iron rod to push a live wire?
Iron rod is a conductive material. You will get electrocuted if you touch a live wire with any conductive material like iron rod. It could be fatal to do so.
How birds sitting on the wire?
you have to be incontact with the ground to get electrocuted!
How does plastic over metal wires prevent being electrocuted?
Plastic is a bad conductor of electricity. Metals are good conductors of electricity. You get the metal wires coated by plastic. So when you touch the wire, you do not get the electric current. This nature of the plastic protects you from getting electrocuted.
Bats cannot touch electrical wires?
False. Bats are capable of avoiding electrical wires while flying, as they use echolocation to navigate their surroundings. However, if a bat were to accidentally come into contact with an electrical wire, it could potentially be electrocuted.
Can you use one wire from the panel with 240v on it to wire a 240v water heater?
In North America it takes two "hot" wires to obtain 240 volts.
Will a man get electrocuted if he sits on one electrical wire?
if he had bunyans
I have 240V 3 wire twistlock plug and want to wire it so I have 120V outlet?
Don't!
How can a bird go on a wire and not die?
Birds don't get electrocuted unless they touch something else besides just the wire -- the electricity will then flow through their bodies toward whatever they're touching. Sometimes you do see birds that have been killed by the electric wires.
Why is there no neutral on a 240 cooktop?
A 240V cooktop does not have a neutral wire because it operates on a 240V split-phase system, where 240V is supplied by two hot wires, with no need for a neutral wire. The two hot wires provide the necessary power for the cooktop to operate efficiently.
