Ohms Law: Electrical Safety Question

[SkeetX]

I am just starting in electronics, and in a book I was reading it said
that a car spark plug could definatly give me a lethal dose of
electricity, even at 12 volts. I'm still having a little trouble
understanding it, but even if there are 50Amps of current behind that
plug, doesn't my body have enough resistance to block a 12 volt
charge? Could someone explain this to me?

Thanks in advance!
Chris

 

[John Popelish]

SkeetX wrote:

I am just starting in electronics, and in a book I was reading it said
that a car spark plug could definatly give me a lethal dose of
electricity, even at 12 volts. I'm still having a little trouble
understanding it, but even if there are 50Amps of current behind that
plug, doesn't my body have enough resistance to block a 12 volt
charge? Could someone explain this to me?

Thanks in advance!
Chris

It is very difficult to to receive a dangerous shock directoy from a
12 volt source, for the body resistance reason you mention. But an
ignition circuit pumps that 12 volts up to a thousand or so volts, and
that voltage has no problem driving a dangerous current through your
bodies resistance. Even on the primary side of the ignition coil,
there are pulses of several hundred volts that hurt like blazes. A
few milliamps across your chest (hand to hand) have a risk of sending
your heart into fatal fibrillations.

--
John Popelish

 

[Norm]

The spark plug= Sparks High Voltage not 12V therefore it will hurt. 12V DC
or AC can be used as source (in a circuit) and generate a higher voltage
that can also hurt.


"SkeetX" <S_k_E_E_T_X@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:800eda4c.0401191926.18853194@posting.google.com...

I am just starting in electronics, and in a book I was reading it said
that a car spark plug could definatly give me a lethal dose of
electricity, even at 12 volts. I'm still having a little trouble
understanding it, but even if there are 50Amps of current behind that
plug, doesn't my body have enough resistance to block a 12 volt
charge? Could someone explain this to me?

Thanks in advance!
Chris

 

[Ian Bell]

SkeetX wrote:

I am just starting in electronics, and in a book I was reading it said
that a car spark plug could definatly give me a lethal dose of
electricity, even at 12 volts. I'm still having a little trouble
understanding it, but even if there are 50Amps of current behind that
plug, doesn't my body have enough resistance to block a 12 volt
charge? Could someone explain this to me?

A car spark plug is not 12 volts. Ths ignition caoil steps it up to several
thousand volts and that can certianly kill you.

Ian