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Registered Member #1225
Joined: Sat Jan 12 2008, 01:24AM
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Posts: 2253
Patrick wrote ...
lpfthings wrote ...
Of course you'd be severely burnt by the amount of power passing through your body, but you also have to remember 6mA through the heart and your dead. I'd say he'd be dead many times now if it was real
The amount of current needed to cause death varies wildly, even less the 6mA can cause death. Individuals have definatley had 500+ mA across the heart and survived without consequence, not even a trip the the ER.
Electricity is hard to predict, thats why I avoid it entirely, if I do get shocked its because I screwed up.
And thank God for that, i would not be alive if it only took 30ma through the body! I have had probably 1 amp from my right arm to right leg...
Registered Member #2431
Joined: Tue Oct 13 2009, 09:47PM
Location: Chico, CA. USA
Posts: 5639
Arcstarter wrote ...
Patrick wrote ...
lpfthings wrote ...
Of course you'd be severely burnt by the amount of power passing through your body, but you also have to remember 6mA through the heart and your dead. I'd say he'd be dead many times now if it was real
The amount of current needed to cause death varies wildly, even less the 6mA can cause death. Individuals have definatley had 500+ mA across the heart and survived without consequence, not even a trip the the ER.
Electricity is hard to predict, thats why I avoid it entirely, if I do get shocked its because I screwed up.
And thank God for that, i would not be alive if it only took 30ma through the body! I have had probably 1 amp from my right arm to right leg...
I think we've all had some scary and close calls! I know I have !
Registered Member #3429
Joined: Sun Nov 21 2010, 02:04AM
Location: Minnesota, USA
Posts: 288
Patrick wrote ...
radiotech wrote ...
Illusionists must keep a secret ring,lest this trick inflict a nasty sting. The law of Ohm will see you home, safely under conductive wing.
what the hell does this rambling mean, dam it!
I believe he is saying (in poetic fashion) that inexperienced presons should not mess around with electrical tricks that are used by professional Magicians. If they do, they may electrocute themselves.
Registered Member #30
Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706
I think he's been at your peppermint schnapps.
Can't have a discussion about electrical magic tricks without mentioning Henry Transtrom, the inventor of the Lightning Man stunt. (and apparently- hold the front page- NOT killed by his own Tesla coil after all)
There's this old picture of me on Mike Harrison's Electricstuff website, putting enough current through my body to light a filament lamp. I was, believe it or not, also asked to do this at a job interview.
I don't know if Mike allows deep linking, if not, it's on this page.
Registered Member #3429
Joined: Sun Nov 21 2010, 02:04AM
Location: Minnesota, USA
Posts: 288
Steve McConner wrote ...
There's this old picture of me on Mike Harrison's Electricstuff website, putting enough current through my body to light a filament lamp.
Because of the high frequency nature of a TC, the current did not flow "through" your body, but rather flowed on the outside surface of your body (known as "skin effect"). That's why people who get shocked by the secondary winding of a Tesla Coil do not become electrocuted. It may burn them badly, or startle them, but will not stop the heart. I suppose that a really, really, really BIG Tesla Coil would fry a person, but it doesn't cause the heart muscle to freeze up like 60Hz AC does. In any case, I certainly would not want to be shocked by even a teeny-weeny Tesla Coil!
Registered Member #30
Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706
That is an old myth. It might be called the skin effect, but it refers to uneven current distribution in metal conductors, it has nothing to do with actual human or animal skin. The skin depth in flesh at 160kHz is several feet.
The current flows right through flesh, blood vessels, nerves and everything, you just don't feel it or get electrocuted because the frequency is too high for nerves to react.
The risk is that points of high current density will start to cook. I felt my wrist getting warm after about 10 seconds. Medical diathermy machines use even higher currents and cause more heating, but those are administered by a professional. The ultimate problem with current density is that you can easily burn yourself where the current enters your body, if you don't have a tight grip on a reasonable area of conductor.
Arcs from a Tesla coil will hurt if they hit your skin directly for this reason. The current density at the tip of the arc actually burns a tiny hole in you, no different to being jabbed with a pin. If you let the arcs strike a metal object, like a wrench held in your hand, you hardly feel anything because the current density is much lower.
Of course, obligatory disclaimer, do not try any of this at home, especially not with some big high powered coil
Registered Member #3429
Joined: Sun Nov 21 2010, 02:04AM
Location: Minnesota, USA
Posts: 288
Steve McConner wrote ...
That is an old myth. It might be called the skin effect, but it refers to uneven current distribution in metal conductors, it has nothing to do with actual human or animal skin. The skin depth in flesh at 160kHz is several feet.
The current flows right through flesh, blood vessels, nerves and everything, you just don't feel it or get electrocuted because the frequency is too high for nerves to react.
The risk is that points of high current density will start to cook. I felt my wrist getting warm after about 10 seconds. The ultimate problem with current density is that you can easily burn yourself where the current enters your body, if you don't have a tight grip on a reasonable area of conductor.
Arcs from a Tesla coil will hurt if they hit your skin directly for this reason. The current density at the tip of the arc actually burns a tiny hole in you, no different to being jabbed with a pin. If you let the arcs strike a metal object, like a wrench held in your hand, you hardly feel anything because the current density is much lower.
Of course, obligatory disclaimer, do not try any of this at home, especially not with some big high powered coil
Yeah, you are correct. I had the old myth stuck in my brain for so long that I actually believed it for a long time. But since the outer surface of human skin (when dry) is a poor electrical conductor, the current mainly follows the blood vessels, and blood is quite salty, which makes it a relatively good electrical conductor.
Registered Member #1875
Joined: Sun Dec 21 2008, 06:36PM
Location:
Posts: 635
Steve McConner wrote ...
There's this old picture of me on Mike Harrison's Electricstuff website, putting enough current through my body to light a filament lamp. I was, believe it or not, also asked to do this at a job interview.
So basically Steve McConner is the REAL Electric Man!
Were there any side effects? I've read that such actions put one at risk of things like nerve damage/strain.
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Electric Man - Claims he's a human electrical conductor.
