Number1
Diamond Member
- Feb 24, 2006
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Originally posted by: DrPizza
Originally posted by: Number1
Simple, as you contact the source of static, the potential difference is instantly equalized bringing the voltage down to zero and the electrons can no longer travel through your body. There was not enough electrons traveling trough your body to hurt you.
:shocked:
Explain why no one dies in my classroom doing this experiment:
Two people hold opposite ends of a neon light. Person A touches ground with his other hand. Person B reaches out to touch a charged Van de Graaff (100,000 Volts on a good day) A big spark jumps 4 or 5 inches to Person B. Simultaneously (or nearly so), the neon light flashes. I guess those electrons *did* travel from one hand to the other. Also, the electrons don't really travel as much as people think. Think about it, do electrons "flow" in an AC current? Or do they wiggle back and forth? What flows?
Ohm's law applies here. Either the source is able to provide the current or the voltage drops. You should try your experiment on a high voltage 110 KV transmission line. The neon light is probably not going to be the only thing that glows once you're finished.