I know that electricity will take the path of least resistance.
Say we have a body of water. This water begins flowing down the path of least resistance and forms a river. However, the water eventually reaches a point where it can no longer flow, and it stops there.
Now in terms of electricity, if I touch an electrical source and also am grounded, it will flow through me and hurt. However, if I touch a source, but I am insulated from the ground, it will not flow & not hurt me.
I would like to think electricity is like water in terms of meandering through and finding the best path, but if electricity flows through and cannot complete a circuit, nothing happens. Or if electricity does not flow like the water would (in search of that path), how would it know that path/circuit is complete?
In: Physics
So when you touch a source but are insulated, it’s like you are a pipe that is lying flat, water can go in but it doesn’t go anywhere. When you touch an earth it’s like the pipe is being flipped vertically and now the water can flow through it. It’s the flow of water (electrons) that hurts, not being wet.
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