WHY DON`T BIRDS GET SHOCKED POWER LINES!!

Question

WHY DON`T BIRDS GET SHOCKED POWER LINES!!

Answer 1

Because they are monsters in bird form

Answer 2

A shock is caused by a flow of current through a body. So for the bird to be shocked there would need to be a current running through her body. There is no current running through the bird's body for two reasons. The first reason is that the bird's body has a high resistance, so the current would rather pass through the wire instead of the bird. Since the current can go through the wire or through the bird to get to the same point, you can think of the wire as being a highway and the bird as a one way mountainous country road. It is easier for the current to pass through the highway (or wire) than it would to take the harder mountainous route (the bird). The second, and more important, reason no current passes through the bird is that in order for current to flow through the bird there must be a voltage across the bird's body. Since, the bird is careful to have both feet on the same wire there is not enough voltage across the bird's body to allow current to flow. If the bird were to touch the wire and at the same time the ground or some object connected to the ground, it would receive a deadly shock. Power lines are extremely dangerous and should always be avoided.

Answer 3

In order for you to get shocked, the electricity must have a path through you to the earth. That is how a farm animal is kept in control using an electric fence, because if they touch the fence the electricity passes through the animal to the earth, but because birds are not in contact with the earth when sitting on the line, the electricity does not pass through them, i.e they do not get shocked.

Answer 4

because the wires are covered. they're not exposed so the birds don't get fried.

Answer 5

well one did get shocked where i lived,it was funny cause this guy thought the loud boom was a gunshot n he hit the floor lol,but the poor birdie died :(

Answer 6

You get shocked when electricity passes through you. Electricity passes through you when there is a potential difference between two objects. This potential difference is called voltage. IE a 1.5 volt battery has a difference of 1.5 volts between itself and the ground which is usually considered 0 volts. The bird lands on wire, but say one foot touches part of the wire, this part of the wire is at 240 volts, then it touches its other foot to a different part of the same wire. However, this part of the wire is also at 240 volts, so there is ideally no potential difference between each foot, so no electricity flows through the bird. HOwever, if the bird touches a wire, then touches the ground, the wire is at 240 volts, and the ground at 0 volts, electricity will flow because of the difference.  

Answer 7

The lines are not grounded, so the electricity has no where to go. (If the bird was touching the ground and wire, it would be shocked.)

Answer 8

their weight i guess

Answer 9

I think they stand on there Bird p**p  which is McDonalds, french Frys,,, Rubber

Answer 10

Oh it's happened before. I was a witness. A bird flew straight into the wire and the part it flew into wasn't covered. I heard a loud boom, looked up, sparks were everywhere... Not a pretty sight!

Answer 11

birds can often safely perch on a power line without being electrocuted. for the bird (or other animal) to be electrocuted, a potential difference must exist across two points of the bird's body (its feet in the case of a bird on a power line).

when perching on a single power line, there is no potential difference between the bird's feet, so it is safe. if the bird (or other animal) touches two power lines at a time, or one power line and a ground (like a ground wire or the earth itself), the animal would be electrocuted and die. many large birds (like eagles and vultures) are electrocuted when their wide wings touch a power line and a ground wire at the same time (often while flying in to land on a power line).

this is why it is VERY unsafe to fly a kite near power lines. if the kite gets tangles in the power lines, the kite string acts as a ground, and you can be electrocuted!!!

Answer 12

You have to be touching two power lines to get zapped.

I've seen quite a few larger birds (and bats) where their wings are fully spread across two lines. Not a pretty sight.

Answer 13

because the lines are covered and they don't touch those fuse things under the glass that are on the poles.

Answer 14

There must be a route to ground, through the bird for it to be part of the path.

Electricy, shortest way to ground.

edit: thumbs down, are you NUTS?  Read up.

library.fws.gov/Bird_Publications/powe...

Answer 15

MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 16

The birds body has a high resistance. The voltage would sence to go thru the wire instead of the bird.

Answer 17

it something that it has to do with their feet and how they step on it

Answer 18

im not sure why, but i do know that if a bird is sitting on a power line and that line touches the one below it, then the bird will get shocked

Answer 19

The bird needs to be grounded, or touch a second line.  

Answer 20

Because they are not  "grounded".