When working with electricity, what wire(s) zap you?

Question

For AC systems - assume everything is wired the way it should be.

When you take the cover off an outlet and pull the recepticle out

If you only touch the exposed metal part of the wire for the ground will it zap you?

If you touch the exposed metal part of the wire for the neutral will it zap you?

If you touch the exposed metal part of the wire for the positive will it zap you?

Answer 1

Ummmmmmm.......don't work with hot wires.  Turn the power off first!

Answer 2

shut off the power damnit.

technically though, i heard that you have to touch both the hot and the neutrel one to elecrocute yourself (you have to complete the circuit)

likewise, if you stick a rod into one slot of a power outlet it wont do anyhinh, but if you stick it in both sides it will

Answer 3

You should kill the power to the outlet first.  

Answer 4

    When working around exposed wires use common sense, do not touch any exposed wires or connections, if you have to, shut the mains off to be on the safe side.

Answer 5

Not just a matter of getting 'zapped', but if while you are pulling the outlet out of the box you brush the hot lead or s***w against the metal box, you will (if it is grounded as it could or should be) draw a nice fat arc, doing anything from scaring the c**p out of you, throwing off a bit of molten metal that can burn you, doing some kind of damage, to popping the breaker (which you should have done at the start anyway).

That said, I've done some foolhardy things as shortcuts and lived to tell about it, but I'd better not tell about it.

Answer 6

You can touch the neutral and the ground without too much fear of getting zapped. If you touch the black or positive it will only zap you if you are grounded firmly. Alot of times if it is dry and you are just grounded a little you will feel a tingle if you touch it. Sometimes not at all.

Answer 7

If you touch the exposed metal of the ground wire it will not zap you.

If you touch the exposed metal of the neutral wire it will not zap you.

There is no 'positive' wire in AC. It's called 'hot' or 'live'.

If you touch the exposed metal of the hot wire it will zap you if you're grounded, even just a little bit, or if you're touching one of the other wires at the same time.

Don't touch these wires with your tongue.

Don't touch these wires while you're bathing.

Don't touch these wires to your friends.

Don't touch these wires to your enemies.

Don't touch these wires together.

OOoooo! Lookit the pretty sparks!

.  

Answer 8

ALWAYS turn off the breaker when removing anything other than the cover for a receptacle or switch. You should not get zapped from touching the bare end of the green wire, the totally bare wire, or from touching the bare end of the white wire IF the wiring was done correctly in the first place.

ALWAYS turn off the breaker when working with any wiring, don't assume that it was done corrrectly and that you won't get a shock.

Answer 9

The ground will not zap you. As for as the other two here you go. If it is a 120 volt Ac the white neutral is safe. The black hot ouch. If it is 240 volt Ac white and black are both hot.

Answer 10

When you are working with ANYTHING like that that could possibly be dangerous it is always best to turn it off via the circuit breaker.