Why aren’t there widespread electrocutions when hurricanes flood a neighborhood?
In: 31
Electrical circuits are protected by circuit breakers and relays. If a power line falls into the water it will be automatically deenergized in a fraction of a second.
There’s too much water and the energy from the electricity gets spread out. Throw a plugged in hairdryer into a bathtub and you could electrocute somebody. Throw it in an olympic swimming pool and it probably won’t unless they’re right next to it.
Every day, the ocean gets hit by lots and lots of lightning bolts. But people go swimming in it and don’t get electrocuted. There’s only so much energy in the lightning, and there’s a lot more water than that.
Hey, not to just defer but this guy is excellent at explaining things in a fun and realistically unsafe way. I highly recommend browsing
Latest Answers