I understand why you get harmed if you’re grounded, you’re becoming part of the wire and the electricity is going from you to the earth. what I dont understand is, why the electricity doesnt harm you when youre not touching the ground, isnt it going through you either way? how does it not affect your body?
In: Physics
In order for current to flow, there needs to be a circuit, i.e. a loop. If you were to hang from a live transmission wire, and be far enough away from other stuff to avoid arcing, then you’re not closing any sort of loop, you’re just there. You’ll be charged to same potential (voltage) as the wire, and for AC there will be small currents flowing in and out of you as the line charges and discharges you, but since you’re not actually making a path to anywhere there’s no *net* current flow through your body. Basically, it doesn’t have anywhere to go through you, so the current continues along the line. Still wouldn’t recommend, but technically you’d be safe.
Whereas, if you were standing on the ground, the Earth becomes the return side of that loop, and now you’ve made a nice path for a *lot* of current to flow through you. Now, it’s much easier for the current to flow through you than through the rest of the line, and since it’s way easier most of it’s going to flow through you.
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