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Does a dangling wire really electrocute me if I'm standing in water?

Conductivity of water, and risk of shock? (fact checking)What are some cheap, reliable methods of water-proofing switches and buttons?How do I “cap” a wire so it doesn't short or electrocute someone?How does a “break” in the neutral wire enable it to reach the full line voltage?Resistance Wire Circuit Safety Around WaterCan a charged 120v high voltage capacitor really kill you?How does grounding the circuit provides safety?Water on Li-Ion battery fire: good idea, bad idea, or neutral?Why is touching the live wire of a socket dangerous inside an apartment few stories up?12v nichrome wire water heater. Is it safe?

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6

$begingroup$

We've all seen this scenario in movies; somebody has to cross a room half filled with water and there is a dangling electric wire that shoots sparks everywhere. The poor person has to cross the room but cannot do so because if the wire hits the water he is obviously electrocuted since water is a conductor.

But is it so simple in real life? If I'm really standing in water in a room, and a high voltage wire hits the water, how does the electricity flow through me to electrocute me? Only my feet are touching the water, no other bodypart of mine is touching anywhere. And realistically there probably would be some piping etc. connected to ground somewhere that would conduct the current to ground. How would I be electrocuted if the current just flows past me?

I suspect this is similar to the well known situation of somebody dropping a hair dryer into a bathtub with a person in it. Why doesn't the current in this situation flow either from the live wire to the neutral wire or through the drain to the ground? Why does simply being in "high voltage water" electrocute me? (And yes, I know the scenario is not so likely with modern appliances but let's consider this in theory).

safety

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

S. RotosS. Rotos

6561612

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  5
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I seriously suggest that you don’t do any testing.
  $endgroup$
  – Solar Mike
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  The answer is: it depends, there are many variables involved like: distance between you and the wire, voltage on the wire, conductivity of the water, water level, material of the bath, if the bath is metal or conductive: how well is it grounded, is it painted. I could go on for a while. All this determines the amount of current passing through the person. Also thin persons can handle less current than "less thin" persons. There can be no clear answer.
  $endgroup$
  – Bimpelrekkie
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Your ground symbol in the sketch implies that the power on the wire is referenced to ground. It may not be. The power on that line could be isolated from ground.
  $endgroup$
  – scorpdaddy
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  This question reminded me of the following video on Youtube made by Electroboom: youtube.com/watch?v=dcrY59nGxBg Where he actually does an experiment to confirm this
  $endgroup$
  – Ferrybig
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "There's an exposed wire over the bathtub ... Oh yeah! Shock wire! I call it that 'cause if you take a shower and touch it.....YOU DIE!" - Ron Swanson / Andy Dwyer - Parks and Rec
  $endgroup$
  – NKCampbell
  55 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

6

$begingroup$

We've all seen this scenario in movies; somebody has to cross a room half filled with water and there is a dangling electric wire that shoots sparks everywhere. The poor person has to cross the room but cannot do so because if the wire hits the water he is obviously electrocuted since water is a conductor.

But is it so simple in real life? If I'm really standing in water in a room, and a high voltage wire hits the water, how does the electricity flow through me to electrocute me? Only my feet are touching the water, no other bodypart of mine is touching anywhere. And realistically there probably would be some piping etc. connected to ground somewhere that would conduct the current to ground. How would I be electrocuted if the current just flows past me?

I suspect this is similar to the well known situation of somebody dropping a hair dryer into a bathtub with a person in it. Why doesn't the current in this situation flow either from the live wire to the neutral wire or through the drain to the ground? Why does simply being in "high voltage water" electrocute me? (And yes, I know the scenario is not so likely with modern appliances but let's consider this in theory).

safety

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

S. RotosS. Rotos

6561612

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  5
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I seriously suggest that you don’t do any testing.
  $endgroup$
  – Solar Mike
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  The answer is: it depends, there are many variables involved like: distance between you and the wire, voltage on the wire, conductivity of the water, water level, material of the bath, if the bath is metal or conductive: how well is it grounded, is it painted. I could go on for a while. All this determines the amount of current passing through the person. Also thin persons can handle less current than "less thin" persons. There can be no clear answer.
  $endgroup$
  – Bimpelrekkie
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Your ground symbol in the sketch implies that the power on the wire is referenced to ground. It may not be. The power on that line could be isolated from ground.
  $endgroup$
  – scorpdaddy
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  This question reminded me of the following video on Youtube made by Electroboom: youtube.com/watch?v=dcrY59nGxBg Where he actually does an experiment to confirm this
  $endgroup$
  – Ferrybig
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "There's an exposed wire over the bathtub ... Oh yeah! Shock wire! I call it that 'cause if you take a shower and touch it.....YOU DIE!" - Ron Swanson / Andy Dwyer - Parks and Rec
  $endgroup$
  – NKCampbell
  55 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

We've all seen this scenario in movies; somebody has to cross a room half filled with water and there is a dangling electric wire that shoots sparks everywhere. The poor person has to cross the room but cannot do so because if the wire hits the water he is obviously electrocuted since water is a conductor.

But is it so simple in real life? If I'm really standing in water in a room, and a high voltage wire hits the water, how does the electricity flow through me to electrocute me? Only my feet are touching the water, no other bodypart of mine is touching anywhere. And realistically there probably would be some piping etc. connected to ground somewhere that would conduct the current to ground. How would I be electrocuted if the current just flows past me?

I suspect this is similar to the well known situation of somebody dropping a hair dryer into a bathtub with a person in it. Why doesn't the current in this situation flow either from the live wire to the neutral wire or through the drain to the ground? Why does simply being in "high voltage water" electrocute me? (And yes, I know the scenario is not so likely with modern appliances but let's consider this in theory).

safety

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

S. RotosS. Rotos

6561612

$endgroup$

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

S. RotosS. Rotos

6561612

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

S. RotosS. Rotos

6561612

asked 8 hours ago

S. RotosS. Rotos

6561612

asked 8 hours ago

S. RotosS. Rotos

6561612

3 Answers
3

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oldest

votes

3

$begingroup$

Just being in "high voltage water" won't electrocute you, just as birds can happily perch on 10+kV power lines (and linemen can be dropped onto live lines for maintenance work), since there's no path, but as you say, there's always going to be a path to ground somewhere in that water, and so there'll be currents flowing through the water. Since that means that there's potential differences across the water at different points, you'd experience that between your feet, and since the human body is a good conductor, other than the skin, which reduces greatly in resistance when wet, that would allow possibly lethal current to flow through the torso. People can and do get electrocuted standing in salty bilge water on 24V systems on boats, it doesn't take a lot of voltage if the resistance is low enough.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

Phil GPhil G

2,8971412

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

3

$begingroup$

In something like water electricity does not "flow to ground" in a neat straight line. There is a potential difference between sections of water radiating out from the HV contact point. That might also mean that your feet are at different potentials, and there will be current flow which could be fatal. This is one reason why cows in fields can be electrocuted by a nearby lightning strike. The voltage difference between their feet can be thousands of volts.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Dirk BruereDirk Bruere

5,59052961

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  It also might not flow to ground at all. If the dangling wire, for example, was connected to a UK shaver outlet (powered by an isolation transformer) then the only available path is back the other wire to the other side of the transformer.
  $endgroup$
  – J...
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

0

$begingroup$

I think that the answer is pretty simple - You are a better conductor than fresh water. i read this somewhere and it made me giggle then: "Humans are just big bags of salt water", which is true. 1mA through heart is enough to cause heart attack, so at 220V 220k resistance is not enough. You are less than 220k, especially when in water. Skin is the only insulator we have.

Just don't try it.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

AtizsAtizs

440310

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

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3

$begingroup$

Just being in "high voltage water" won't electrocute you, just as birds can happily perch on 10+kV power lines (and linemen can be dropped onto live lines for maintenance work), since there's no path, but as you say, there's always going to be a path to ground somewhere in that water, and so there'll be currents flowing through the water. Since that means that there's potential differences across the water at different points, you'd experience that between your feet, and since the human body is a good conductor, other than the skin, which reduces greatly in resistance when wet, that would allow possibly lethal current to flow through the torso. People can and do get electrocuted standing in salty bilge water on 24V systems on boats, it doesn't take a lot of voltage if the resistance is low enough.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

Phil GPhil G

2,8971412

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

3

$begingroup$

Just being in "high voltage water" won't electrocute you, just as birds can happily perch on 10+kV power lines (and linemen can be dropped onto live lines for maintenance work), since there's no path, but as you say, there's always going to be a path to ground somewhere in that water, and so there'll be currents flowing through the water. Since that means that there's potential differences across the water at different points, you'd experience that between your feet, and since the human body is a good conductor, other than the skin, which reduces greatly in resistance when wet, that would allow possibly lethal current to flow through the torso. People can and do get electrocuted standing in salty bilge water on 24V systems on boats, it doesn't take a lot of voltage if the resistance is low enough.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

Phil GPhil G

2,8971412

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

Just being in "high voltage water" won't electrocute you, just as birds can happily perch on 10+kV power lines (and linemen can be dropped onto live lines for maintenance work), since there's no path, but as you say, there's always going to be a path to ground somewhere in that water, and so there'll be currents flowing through the water. Since that means that there's potential differences across the water at different points, you'd experience that between your feet, and since the human body is a good conductor, other than the skin, which reduces greatly in resistance when wet, that would allow possibly lethal current to flow through the torso. People can and do get electrocuted standing in salty bilge water on 24V systems on boats, it doesn't take a lot of voltage if the resistance is low enough.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

Phil GPhil G

2,8971412

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

Phil GPhil G

2,8971412

answered 4 hours ago

Phil GPhil G

2,8971412

answered 4 hours ago

Phil GPhil G

2,8971412

3

$begingroup$

In something like water electricity does not "flow to ground" in a neat straight line. There is a potential difference between sections of water radiating out from the HV contact point. That might also mean that your feet are at different potentials, and there will be current flow which could be fatal. This is one reason why cows in fields can be electrocuted by a nearby lightning strike. The voltage difference between their feet can be thousands of volts.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Dirk BruereDirk Bruere

5,59052961

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  It also might not flow to ground at all. If the dangling wire, for example, was connected to a UK shaver outlet (powered by an isolation transformer) then the only available path is back the other wire to the other side of the transformer.
  $endgroup$
  – J...
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

3

$begingroup$

In something like water electricity does not "flow to ground" in a neat straight line. There is a potential difference between sections of water radiating out from the HV contact point. That might also mean that your feet are at different potentials, and there will be current flow which could be fatal. This is one reason why cows in fields can be electrocuted by a nearby lightning strike. The voltage difference between their feet can be thousands of volts.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Dirk BruereDirk Bruere

5,59052961

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  It also might not flow to ground at all. If the dangling wire, for example, was connected to a UK shaver outlet (powered by an isolation transformer) then the only available path is back the other wire to the other side of the transformer.
  $endgroup$
  – J...
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

In something like water electricity does not "flow to ground" in a neat straight line. There is a potential difference between sections of water radiating out from the HV contact point. That might also mean that your feet are at different potentials, and there will be current flow which could be fatal. This is one reason why cows in fields can be electrocuted by a nearby lightning strike. The voltage difference between their feet can be thousands of volts.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Dirk BruereDirk Bruere

5,59052961

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Dirk BruereDirk Bruere

5,59052961

answered 3 hours ago

Dirk BruereDirk Bruere

5,59052961

answered 3 hours ago

Dirk BruereDirk Bruere

5,59052961

0

$begingroup$

I think that the answer is pretty simple - You are a better conductor than fresh water. i read this somewhere and it made me giggle then: "Humans are just big bags of salt water", which is true. 1mA through heart is enough to cause heart attack, so at 220V 220k resistance is not enough. You are less than 220k, especially when in water. Skin is the only insulator we have.

Just don't try it.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

AtizsAtizs

440310

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

0

$begingroup$

I think that the answer is pretty simple - You are a better conductor than fresh water. i read this somewhere and it made me giggle then: "Humans are just big bags of salt water", which is true. 1mA through heart is enough to cause heart attack, so at 220V 220k resistance is not enough. You are less than 220k, especially when in water. Skin is the only insulator we have.

Just don't try it.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

AtizsAtizs

440310

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

I think that the answer is pretty simple - You are a better conductor than fresh water. i read this somewhere and it made me giggle then: "Humans are just big bags of salt water", which is true. 1mA through heart is enough to cause heart attack, so at 220V 220k resistance is not enough. You are less than 220k, especially when in water. Skin is the only insulator we have.

Just don't try it.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

AtizsAtizs

440310

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

AtizsAtizs

440310

answered 8 hours ago

AtizsAtizs

440310

answered 8 hours ago

AtizsAtizs

440310