What are two ways electric shock can harm your body?

Answer 1

I'm answering this question as if you are wondering how it is that people can feel an electric shock and why it effects us the way it does.

There are two ways:

Static electricity, the type you can get or give to someone after you have walked across a carpet works like this:

It's called electrostatic discharge (ESD), a rapid, high voltage, low current, transfer of electrons between two objects at different electrical potentials.

Electric shock occurs upon contact of a human body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient damage. The minimum current a human can feel is thought to be about 1 amp.

Death caused by an electric shock is referred to aselectrocution.

Macroshock is the current across intact skin and through the body. Current from arm to arm, or between an arm and a foot, is likely to traverse the heart, therefore it is much more dangerous than current between a leg and the ground. This type of shock by definition must pass into the body through the skin

Answer 2

Opinion only: Before describing some of the hazards or negative effects that electrical shocks can have on the human body, it's important to understand a few electrical terms. Furthermore, given that different countries use different electrical standards; my answer is based on standards used in North America. Alternating Current (AC):Electric current which changes direction with a regular frequency. Domestic AC in North America has a frequency of 60 Hertz (Hz) while 50 Hertz (Hz) is used in most other countries. Voltage: Is a measurement of energy (represented by the letter "V") contained within an electric field, or an electric circuit, at a given point. Using a water pipe as an example, voltage is the pressure in an electrical system. Electric current: Is the flow of an electric charge and is measured using a unit called the ampere and is represented by the letter "A". Using our water pipe as an example, amperes is the volume of water flowing down the pipe in our Plumbing system. Typical amperages in a 110 V home generally range between 15 to 40, depending on electrical appliances used. Watts: Is a measure of how much work an electrical system is able to accomplish. It is calculated by multiplying the voltage present in a circuit times the amperage which is flowing. For instance, a 12-volt circuit which is flowing 10 amps of current is producing 120 Watts of power. Electrical standards: In North America, 110-120 V (60 Hz) is used domestically, while in many other countries, 220-240V (50 Hz) is used. However; with the advent of centralized air conditioning and heating systems as well as clothes dryers, most homes have both 110 and 220 Voltage lines. In certain manufacturing companies, voltages of 550 and over are commonplace. Answer to your question: An electric shock can occur upon contact of a human body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current through the muscles or hair. The minimum current a human can feel is thought to be about 1 milliampere (mA). The current may cause tissue damage or fibrillation if it is sufficiently high. Death caused by an electric shock is referred to as electrocution. Generally, currents approaching 100 mA are lethal if they pass through sensitive portions of the body. When an unprotected body comes into contact with electricity, the above rules change dramatically if a person is wet or standing in water that is touching any part of the person's body. I will provide a true life example. A husband and wife were swimming in their backyard pool when suddenly, the telephone line from their house to pole in their back yard snapped and the live end of the snapped telephone line fell into the swimming pool. In North America, telephone lines generally carry a charge of 46 to 50 volts. Both people were electrocuted and fortunately, lived to tell the story. The following is a partial list of some of the hazards or negative effects that electrical shocks can have on the human body: Ventricular fibrillation: A low-voltage (110 or 230 V with a 50 or 60-Hz ) current through the chest for a fraction of a second may induce ventricular fibrillation at currents as low as 60 mA. If the current has a direct pathway to the heart (e.g., via a cardiac catheter or other kind of electrode), a much lower current of less than 1 mA can cause fibrillation. If not immediately treated by defibrillation, fibrillations are usually lethal, because all the heart muscle cells move independently. Above 200 mA, muscle contractions are so strong that the heart muscles cannot move at all. System shock: If one accidentally touches a 110 V live wire or sticks his/her finger into a light socket, he/she will, as a reflexive action, immediately drop the live wire or remove their finger from the light socket. The brief shock that they will have experienced will generally be harmless unless the person has a cardio related problem. However, if the person happened to be standing in water while bare footed; the shock could be lethal. Burns: Voltage levels of 500 to 1000 volts tend to cause internal burns due to the large energy that basically heats the body due to resistance. Heating due to resistance can cause extensive and deep burns. Again if the person happened to be standing in water while bare footed; the shock will most likely be lethal at such high voltage levels. Neurological effects: Current can cause interference with nervous control, especially over the heart and lungs. Repeated or severe electric shock which does not lead to death has been shown to cause neuropathy.

Answer 3

It can cause damage to the nervous system and damage major organs and, if theres a high enough voltage, cause major organs to fail, like the heart.

Answer 4

Electric shock occurs when a human body has a contact to the source of voltage that is high enough to cause sufficient current to hair or muscle.

Answer 5

heat rate excels and and you may have a heat attack, or possibly lose a limb if the electric shock is fierce enough.

Answer 6

Grounding an electric current.