AC or DC Shock: Which is worse? OUCH! [RE-wrenches]

[Matt Tritt]

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  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Mark Robinson" <Mark at TheEnergyGrid.com>
  To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
  Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 8:15 AM
  AC/DC shock

  Mark,

  As shocking as it may seem, grabbing the positive and negative terminals
of a 24 volt battery bank regardless of it's capacity will not cause any
(overt) harm to the human body. On the other hand, try it with 24 V AC with
unlimited potential and I bet you'll notice the effects. I seem to remember
the old addage about AC: it's not the voltage that will kill you, it's the
amperage.

  If you've ever had electro acupuncture you will have noticed that every
pulse of electric input to the needles causes an involuntary contraction of
the muscle fibers on the leads. If you increase the frequency of the input
to more than about 2 X per second you experience a very unpleasant spasmodic
twitching that increases with the frequency, which also seems to make it
difficult to influence the motor control of that area. I think that the
problem with AC that makes it so much more dangerous than DC is just because
of this phenomenon; the bodies of all sentient beings are controlled by
electric impulses from the brain of very low voltage and current. When a
stronger alternating current/voltage is induced, your brain controls are
overridden by similar but infinitely more powerful "orders" and you get
nocked off your ladder.

  Matt T




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  I've been doing some Nextek-related research. Several people have
  resisted the idea of running DC power lines through offices because of the
  increased hazard of DC shock. I've been finding all kinds of information
  about whether an AC shock is worse than a DC shock. Unfortunately, it's
  heavily contradictory. There hasn't been a lot of testing done. Subjects
are
  hard to find. (Any Volunteers?)

  As an electrician, I was always under the assumption that you 'can't
  let go' of DC. This is challenged in several studies, one claiming:

  ...AC is said to be four to five times more dangerous than DC. For one
  thing, AC causes more severe muscular contractions(
  http://pchem.scs.uiuc.edu/pchemlab/electric.htm). Reportedly it's the
  frequency that causes contractions.... And 60 Hz is the worst.

  Personally, I've been knocked off a ladder by both!

  http://www.fishock.com/service/shock_new.html claims that the AC/DC
  component is not significant.

  A Comparison chart at http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_3/4.html
  shows that DC is safer than 60Hz, and 10Hz is even better.

  Another site (http://www.codecheck.com/ecution.htm) claims that there are
  more horror stories about DC shock because more victims have lived to tell
  them.

  If anyone has any references or thoughts to add... I'd appreciate it.

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