Electrocution. Has anyone died from just sticking their fingers in a socket? Does water have to be involved?

Question

As a kid I remember having wet fingers and not realising one night stuck my fingers in a socket by my bed that had an extension on it, one had a lamp attached the other empty. I got a shock and it felt like something had bitten me. what voltage/wattage is needed to kill you and how are our homes protected from that?

Answer 1

Im not sure, obviously our hands  sweat so if our fingers got clammy it may be possible, however to get your finger down the plug socket hole would be extremely difficult it would need alot of time, Why would anyone want to do this though? Haha

The voltage differs. I read a magazine where a man had been hit by lightning over 2000 volts and he survived, yet ive heard of someone whos died with around 200 volts so it all depends as it can shock you and stop the heart working.

Answer 2

Water is not necessary. At 220v, 250 milliamps could be fatal. One of my in-laws was killed changing a bulb in Christmas tree lights. Our homes are protected by an RCD, or 'Trip' as they're commonly known; a 30 milliamp leak operates the device which shuts off the power instantaneously.

Answer 3

its the amount of amps which kills you

it can be as little as 0.03 amps what can kill you

Answer 4

Most countries in developed nations have standard sockets/plugs which will not allow fingers to be poked in the holes.

there is no 'set voltage/current' which will kill you

it depends what part of the body the current travels through (most deaths are caused by the shock stopping the heart)

Answer 5

Well I accidentally stuck my thumb on the plug socket of our tumble dryer. The back of the socket had fallen off and I went to pull it out and got a shock. It was HORRIBLE. One of the worst pains ever. Although it didn't do much, it made me feel a bit ill but I was fine, and that was coming from the mains. I guess it would have to be a big shock.

I was always strictly told as a child not to stick my fingers in a socket.. you silly bean!

Answer 6

Water is not a good conductor.  It is a better conductor than our skin but it is a poor conductor, overall.  All you need to do is check the resistance of water with a mega ohm meter and you can see how it compares to wire.

Yes, current kills, not voltage.  For a crude, quick, explanation, the voltage "pushes" the current.  If your hands are wet the voltage will push more current but a higher voltage could have done the same thing to dry hands.

Check out this page: http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~p616/...

10 mA (0.010 A) is very dangerous.  If you touch that outlet with both hands, the electricity will travel through your heart, causing fibrillation- think of being hit with one of those things electrical devices in hospitals that are used to get hearts started again, the only catch is that yours is already going.

Something important to remember: if you see or experience electrocution, go to the hospital immediately.  Damage to your heart is not always obvious and many people make the fatal mistake of assuming that they are okay when a trip to the ER could have saved their lives.  

Now, back to the voltage.  Since voltage is the "pressure" behind current, there are hazardous levels of voltage.  If you've ever put a 9 volt battery on your tongue you'll know that it pushes enough current through you to get your attention.  Luckily, a 9 volt battery simply does not have the ability to push too much current (this gets a bit confusing, but consider that your power lines have breakers to stop the current where a normal battery would not reach such currents).  Car batteries, on the other hand (12 volts) can reach very high currents, don't mess around with them.  Sure, you can touch the terminals with dry hands, but if they're wet I would not do it!

I believe the OSHA rates any AC voltage above 50 V RMS to be hazardous in the NEC.  I've seen voltages as low as 24 V RMS rated as hazardous as well (UL maybe?)  Either way, good rule of thumb, don't mess with it if it's above 12 V.  Actually, even if it's 12 V, don't mess with it since, as I said, you could seriously s***w yourself up with a car battery if you make the right mistakes.

Answer 7

I think it is the amperage that kills, a friend of mine electrocuted himself with a faulty 240 volt power drill, water being a good conductor increases the risk of death if you are wet.

Answer 8

Electric sockets are so designed that it is virtually immpossible for any child or adult to poke their finger in them. The top pin on a plug must be inserted to lift a shutter type device over the other 2 pins. You must have had a very old type plug for you to get your finger in it.

Answer 9

Yes, People have died from this.

Most deaths are caused by hart failure. If your one hand is in the socket and your other hand is grounded the electricity will cross your hart. This electric charge can interfere with you harts own electric charge and force it to stop.

Death can also occurs if you get hooked on to  the wire or you muscles lock up and don't allow you to release the wire. In this situation the electric current will slowly cook you internal tissues until you have organ failure of one type or another.

Answer 10

You better not be asking this for suicide info or i'll come over there and kick your spasming, electrocuted azz back to life.

No water is required, and we have circuit breakers to break the current, doesn't mean it won't kill you first.

I've been electrocuted and it's fcuking awful, the most intense pain I've ever felt. It was like someone drilled into the bone of my arm with a buzzing d***o, but not one made of rubber, one made of steel screws.. all of them cutting through my bone at the same time.

Makes you realise what "alternating" current is all about, it comes in fast regular waves.. ugh, horrible, my hair is standing on end just thinking about it.

Anyway, what wattage? i dunno, depends on how it kills you. If it fries your brain/nervous system it could be one thing. If it sets off a heart attack (which is possible, once your muscles have been zapped you have absolutely no control over them.. trying to slow down twitching and heart rate by thought alone does absolutely nothing) so it's possible it will set your heart off and it'll either explode or just stop.

If it felt like something bit you then it was probably static, you'd never ever forget being shocked properly. The only way i can describe it is like i said, someone drilling into the bone of your arm with a horribly non-cylindrical drillbit.

Answer 11

Yes the body requires a 1/4 amp to pass through your body, unless you are completely "Earthed" this amount of current is unlikely

Answer 12

Mmm, i am wondering why you would want to stick your fingers in a socket ? if its a perm your after i suggest you go to the hairdressers !