RE: Cavalier Attitude (Setting the record straight)

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Ray Haynes by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <ray.haynes-at-home-dot-com>

Had enough antidotal evidence? Here is some "shocking" data from a Tektronix
"Biophysical Measurements" book.

For 60Hz Arm to Arm >
300uA Threshold of sensation
1mA Threshold of pain
10mA Can't let go
100mA-3A Ventricular fibrillation and PROBABLE DEATH
>3A Severe burns and shock

Ventricular fibrillation is produced by current directly through the heart
during a specific portion of the cardiac cycle know as the "vulnerable
period". The vulnerable period for ventricular muscle occurs during the
upstroke of the T-wave and a single shock impulse lasting for LESS THEN 0.1
second could cause ventricular fibrillation if received during this
vulnerable period.

Skin resistance can vary between 20K and 200K ohms for normal DRY hands. The
lower layers of skin have around 1000 ohms of resistance which comes into
play when the outer layers are WET.

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In conclusion, dry skin and a couple of thousand volts with 100mA of
available current WILL probably kill you. With wet skin under a 100 volts
could do the trick. Also a single very quick pulse, like a discharge from a
cap, can be enough to cause ventricular fibrillation, i.e. DEATH. And this
is not taking it to account any injuries caused by the involuntary muscle
contraction caused by the shock.

Electricity doesn't kill people, but carelessness can.

Ray