How can electric fences have a high voltage and low current when current is proportional to voltage?

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As I understand it, voltage is the difference in charge between two points. The greater that difference, the greater the current because more electrons will flow between the two points.

I thought a high resistance might explain this, but apparently the metal in electric fences have very low resistance.

In: Physics

10 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

You start with the wrong comprehension. The difference between charge is indeed the voltage, but a great difference just means a great voltage.

Imagine a bathtub full of water in a multi story building.

The voltage is the floor the bathtub is sitting on.

The current would be the flow of water once you pull the plug keeping the water in the tub.

The higher the tub the more potential energy it has, but if the pipe letting the water out is as small as a straw, it won’t have much energy coming out (current).

Electric fences are a bathtub on a very high floor with a pipe with barely bigger than the head of a pin.

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