It happened in the UK, where the household current is 220 volts at 50 hertz. That'll cook you like a hot dog.
Eh I've gotten 300 volts no big deal. Think it was DC. AC is harder to let go off iirc.
Pops is an electrician (I’m an “audio electrician”), and he always told me to touch with the back of your hand so you just fall, hopefully away. Also, AC swings to 0v, so you got 60 short chances a second to leggo. He always mentioned how DC will just lock your muscles up.
Back of your hand because the power will cause your muscles to contract and grip the wire of touching with the inside of your hand.
Yeah I sorta pretended to be an electrician for 2.5 years. Made decent money too.
DC is how defibrillators work. stops the heart (contracts) then releases it and hopefully normal rhythm follows. 440 AC will knock you away where 120 AC will hold you. It's the frequency that does you in but it usually has to travel through your body rather than just through your hand.
Oh I've gotten over 2,000 volts DC before, off a He/Ne laser power supply I was mishandling, but fortunately for me it was operating at about .0015 amps. Still felt like I'd been shot with buckshot though.
Yeah those amps'll get ya
How often do you get shot?
DC is what won't let go because it's Direct Current. Alternating Current will zap you and immediately let you go.
Double the potential for fun!
Why does UK run that standard?
Higher voltage = less amperage needed for the same number of watts = smaller cabling can be used.
Same reason most high-speed trains use 25kV (AC). Local trains use 1.5kV (DC), but for the wattage required, the amperage increase would require the overhead cables to be much thicker (and therefore heavier & more expensive to manufacture, install, and support).
Ah, so sacrifice a little safety for a cheaper install?
Usa supports same voltage
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