Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Hadrian on 05/08/2006 20:38:29

Title: What the biggest shock , ZAP!
Post by: Hadrian on 05/08/2006 20:38:29

What the biggest shock (not lighting) you have herd of where the person survived

August 2, 2006 -- A track worker got a severe electric shock yesterday - but miraculously survived - when wires he was ripping out made contact with the third rail, sending 625 volts and 3,000 amperes of direct current through his body, transit officials said.

The 50-year-old worker, whose job it is to maintain the third rail, sustained second- and third-degree burns to his right hand.

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.

Title: Re: What the biggest shock , ZAP!
Post by: Mjhavok on 06/08/2006 03:17:54

Ouch. Every muscle in his body probably hurt afterwards. Can't imagine that feeling. I had the actual flu once and I hurt all over but I'm guessing this is much worse. Very painful, I wonder what magical prescription he is on to make him see rainbows.

Title: Re: What the biggest shock , ZAP!
Post by: daveshorts on 06/08/2006 10:56:58

I am convinced that 3000 amps didn't go through his body. The body's resistance is fairly high M&Ohm; surface restistance or at least k&Ohm; inside, so as power is I squared R, many many kilowatts if not megawatts of energy would have been dissipated in him, and he would probably have vaporised.

The current is most likely to have been limited by his resistance, rather than the output of the power station and was in the tens of milliamp region. Will still kill if you are not lucky, but probably not vaporise you ;)

Title: Re: What the biggest shock , ZAP!
Post by: neilep on 06/08/2006 18:04:12

seeing myself naked shocks me ! (I am THAT sexy [:)])....wifey and myself regularly survive this bare faced cheek event !!

Men are the same as women, just inside out !