Wednesday, June 11, 2008

How electricity can hurt you

Electricity Takes the Easiest Path to the Ground
Electricity is always trying to get to the ground। Like all good travelers, electricity takes shortcuts whenever it can. If something that conducts electricity gives electricity an easy path to the ground, electricity will take it!


Electricity Can Travel Through you

Water and metal are some of the best conductors for electricity। Because body is mostly water, you are a great conductor, too! So if you touch an electric circuit and the ground at the same time, you will become electricity’s easiest path. Electricity will flow through you, and you could be seriously hurt or killed.
You don’t have to be touching the ground directly to conduct electricity. You could also be touching something that is in contact with the ground, like a tree or a ladder


Electricity, You, and Water

Water is an excellent conductor. You can become electricity’s path to the ground if you are touching water that touches electricity। Electricity would travel through the water and through you to the ground.
This is why it’s so important to keep all electrical appliances away from water, and to make sure your hands are dry and you are not standing in water when you touch anything electrical। It’s also the reason no one should ever use water on an electrical fire, but should use a multipurpose fire extinguisher instead.



Electricity, You, and Appliances
Appliances have protective insulated cords and coverings to keep you from contacting the electricity inside. It’s important to use appliances and cords the way they were designed to be used so you don’t damage the insulation or contact live electrical parts. If a live wire inside an appliance, toy, or power tool touches the inside of the device and you touch the device, it would be like touching a bare live wire. You cannot tell from the outside if there is a problem inside, so you should always act as if there were danger of shock.


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