How you get an electric shock?

Answer 1

Why Electricity shocks us:Electricity shocks us, because it is an outside force that interferes with the internal electricity our bodies' nervous systems generate.

Answer 2

An electrical shock is received when electrical current passes through the body. Current will pass through the body in a variety of situations. Whenever two wires are at different voltages, current will pass between them if they are connected. Your body can connect the wires if you touch both of them at the same time. Current will pass through your body.

Your risk of receiving a shock is greater if you stand in a puddle of water. But you don't even have to be standing in water to be at risk. Wet clothing, high humidity, and perspiration also increase your chances of being electrocuted. Of course, there is always a chance of electrocution, even in dry conditions.

You can even receive a shock when you are not in contact with an electrical ground. Contact with both live wires of a 240-volt cable will deliver a shock. (This type of shock can occur because one live wire may be at +120 volts while the other is at -120 volts during an alternating current cycle-a difference of 240 volts.). You can also receive a shock from electrical components that are not grounded properly. Even contact with another person who is receiving an electrical shock may cause you to be shocked.

Information from:

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Answer 3

Literally water and electricity do not cause shocks. The cause of an electrical shock is coming into contact with an electrical voltage source and then touching a metallic grounded object. This in effect closes the circuit between the "hot" conductor and the grounded object. If moisture is involved with this grounding, the body ohmic resistance is lowered and this provides better conductivity of amperage through the body. It is all about the resistance and where the two contact points are on the body as to the severity of the shock.

Another Answer:

Electricity and water will result in a shock. A "shock hazard" is typically defined by electrical regulations to be about 10 milliamps or .01 amps.

There are two effects that contribute to electricity and water creating a shock.

(1) The effective resistance of the human body is primarily determined by the skin. Human skin changes dramatically in conductivity when wet. According to the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, wet skin decreases the effective resistance of a human by a factor of up to 100 compared to dry skin.

(2) When a human is in contact with water, the surface area of that contact can be quite large, even a few square inches being possibly a hundred or thousand times greater than the typical surface contact between skin and a section of wire.

(Plastics and other insulators have resistivities a million times greater than water and water has a million times more resistance than metals. This varies depending on the purity of the water.)

Water, though typically a million times less conducting than a metal, can support a significant current if the contact interface is large with the human and with the ground. In effect, standing in (grounded) water, with a large surface contact area provides a ground contact that is nearly as good as direct contact with a grounded metal conductor.

In an electrical circuit with a hundred volts and a human body effective resistance between 100,000 Ohms and 1,000 Ohms (dry versus wet) the shock current of .01 Amps is easily achieved and three to ten times that level is regularly fatal.

Answer 4

because your body conducts electricity. outlets provide electricity.