Physics help please?!!!?

Question

why is the live wire dangerous because its voltage is constantly alternating...i dont get it...

in advance: thanks for ur help !!!

Answer 1

In most public supply systems the neutral wire is connected to earth or ground (The dirt under our feet) at the electricity company supply transformer. In simple terms the voltage of the neutral and hence the ground is said to be zero. The live wire is at a voltage say 230V or 120V above neutral. When we are standing in a normal environment in the home or at work we will be in contact with the ground through the carpets floor coverings etc.  For normal AC circuits the current passes down the live wire through the light bulb and back down the neutral wire to the transformer. If we touch a live wire the current flows through our body and through the ground back to the transformer. This flow of electric current gives us the electric shock. The answer therefore is that the live wire is dangerous because if we touch it current can flow through our body and we recieve an electric shock    

Answer 2

It's not dangerous due to being AC, it's dangerous because of the voltage: Voltage allows current to flow, and it's the current that kills you.

DC is actually more dangerous than AC, as AC will 'throw' you off as the current changes polarity, whereas DC will 'hold' you.

Answer 3

The electrical potential in an alternating currency wire is dangerous.

Touch two of the wires, and the electrons will run through your body in alternating direction and make damage. The  does his job by moving the electrons in alternating direction.

Answer 4

okay look at like this

this is the live wire

_____________________

a constanly running elecrity field

But then something like this

                      |

__________|________________

it inferes with this constanly so then the  item that is infereing with it will get the elecrity charged

Answer 5

volts are not dangerous its the amps that are

if the appliance is not earthed then the current if you touch it will use you as earth, this applies to dc & ac voltage.

Answer 6

According to the Merck Manual of Medical Information, Second Home Edition Online

    "Alternating current … is more dangerous than direct current. Direct current tends to cause a single muscle contraction often strong enough to force the person away from the current's source. Alternating current causes a continuing muscle contraction, often preventing people from releasing their grip on the current's source. As a result, exposure may be prolonged. Even a small amount of alternating current -- barely enough to be felt as a mild shock -- may cause a person's grip to freeze. Slightly more alternating current can cause the chest muscles to contract, making breathing impossible. Still more current can cause deadly heart rhythms."

From "Physiological Effects of Chemistry" a chapter in "Lessons in Electric Circuits, Volume I DC"

"How AC affects the body depends largely on frequency. Low-frequency (50- to 60-Hz) AC is used in US (60 Hz) and European (50 Hz) households; it can be more dangerous than high-frequency AC and is 3 to 5 times more dangerous than DC of the same voltage and amperage. Low-frequency AC produces extended muscle contraction (tetany), which may freeze the hand to the current's source, prolonging exposure. DC is most likely to cause a single convulsive contraction, which often forces the victim away from the current's source."