Why do telephone wires shock you when you touch it rather than when you are near it?

Question

I watched a veritasium video when he explained that the energy is flowing as a field around the wire- how can things get near the wire then without getting shocked?

In: Physics

Answer 1

That veritasium video is so over simplified that its basically wrong, the electrons moving is what causes the field around the wire and visa versa. High voltage and current AC systems can do this, because the fields that surround the wires are actually significant. Its called Leakage current or Parasitic current.