Electrical Hazards and Ohms Law

A good reason to understand the relationship between current and voltage is that most of you have 120 volts out of every wall outlet in your house Now, what kills you ---> the current

What decides how much current will pass through you given that the voltage is 120 volts? ---à your resistance

So, first a table of your resistances:

Dry skin resistance: 1000,000 ohm/sq. cm.
Wet skin: 1,000 ohm/sq. cm.
Resistance between two hands if sweating slightly: 1,500 ohm
Resistance between two hands if wet and touching ground 500 ohm


Now what current (in milliamps (1/1,000 amp) will do what to you:

1 milliamp can feel it
5 - 10 milliamp considerable muscular reaction and pain
10 - 20 milliamp paralyzes some muscles --> makes it difficult to let go
20 - 60 milliamp contracts chest muscles, causes breathing to stop ---> death in minutes
60 - 100 milliamp causes heart fibrillation --> heart in chaotic motion canot pump blood, brain death follows, then death


Learn ohms law and be able to assess your danger.