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16 thousand volts

The voltage isn't anywhere near as important as the current (Amps) A human regularly takes voltage sparks of 86,000 volts as found in static discharges but the current is negligible.

People frequently survive millions of volts discharge when struck by lightning. Also you have to consider that the path that the electricity takes through the body will alter how deadly it is too.

The most dangerous path is through the torso to ground through the feet. If the electricity travels this path the current would travel through the nerves that control the heart and possibly lead to cardiac arrest.

I believe that Mythbusters tested the theory of how much current it took to kill and came up with a minimum value of 300 milliamps (0.3 amps) across the heart would cause it to stop beating. (Mythbusters website episode 19 Toaster in the bath). If you are really lucky the heart could re-fibrillate again and you might survive.

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Milliamps are dangerous 1 amp = 1000 mA

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.

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15y ago

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