I understand completing a circuit to ground or something is lethal. I also know it has something to do with your bodies capacity but why does that kill you
In: Physics
Capacitance is the capability of an object or device to store electric charge. Basically anything that resembles the structure of a capacitor (two metal plates charged with opposite charges with an insulator material in between) presents some amount of capacitance.
For example, a high voltage line, air and ground exhibits a non-zero capacitance (the line acts as one plate, the air as the insulator and the ground as the other plate).
Knowing this, the answer to your question is that even though it looks like you’re not closing any circuit because you’re physically not in contact with the ground or the high voltage line, you are still forming a closed circuit through that parasitic capacitance.
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