So as we know for a person to get electrocuted a circuit needs to be completed. You cannot stand on a wooden chair and get electrocuted. So when you stand on a wooden chair and touch a live wire, how does the electricity figure out that you’re standing on an insulator? Does the electricity pass through you first before failing to complete the circuit because of the wood?
In: 19
Think of electricity as traffic on a road and that electrons are safe and considerate drivers.
An insulator is a like a red light. Traffic stops because everyone has a car in front of them all the way up to the one car stopped at the traffic light.
Once the light turns green, the first car can move, which means the next car can move, etc. etc. etc.
A live wire just sitting there is like cars at an intersection with a red light *and* the road in front of them is full of traffic, they can’t move (despite the light color) because there is *no where for them to go*.
Once I touch a live wire, that’s like the light at the intersection turning green. The cars *can move* but only if there is somewhere to go. If I’m fully insulated that’s like my road being full of cars. Even though the light is green, the cars can’t merge onto my road because it’s already full of backed up cars.
But if I become uninsulated that’s like my road clearing. If both my road is clear and the traffic light is green (I’m uninsulated and I touch a live wire) then suddenly the cars will rush onto my road. That’s electrocution.
Latest Answers