Re: RF burns

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Terry Fritz <vardin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Sam,

In general, RF burns are just like any other electrical burn.  Enough 
current in a small enough area will cause the flesh to 
burn.  Electrical burns can go right inside your body.  Current tends 
to flow along nerves and blood vessels since they are the least 
conductive.  It is very possible to have no external skin burns while 
having internal burns from a shock.  Electrical burns do not like to 
heal naturally and often need surgery.

"RF" normally will not give a pain sensation since the nerves cannot 
feel RF current, so you do not feel the electric current.  Thus you 
can get a very bad burn without knowing it until the thermal pain 
hits or you smell smoke.  Thus, an RF burn can be far more serious 
since you can get burned for a longer time before reacting to it.

In general, the current from the top of a Tesla coil will not cause 
serious burns.  The primary circuit is very deadly however and can 
kill out right.

Cheers,

        Terry


At 12:01 PM 9/17/2005, you wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Are RF burns caused by the arcs from the topload terminal of a tesla coil?
>
> Once the topload charges up to it max capacitance,  the electric 
> field around it will be high enough to cause a breakdown in the air. 
> The discharge of the topload capacitance will be initiated in the 
> air as arcs. These arcs will carry with it the charges accumulated 
> on the topload.
>
> Am I right to say that it is these arcs that cause RF burns? If so, 
> why are these arcs termed as RF burns? - Is it because they are 
> initiated at such high frequency, eg. 1.6 Mhz so in one second, we 
> will be exposed to several million of these arcs on our exposed 
> parts of the body?
>
> Thanks,
> Sam
>
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