True or False: A human body does have enough resistance to prevent fatal current flow when contact is made with primary voltage.

True or False: A human body does have enough resistance to prevent fatal current flow when contact is made with primary voltage.

• A. It depends on conditions
• B. True
• C. Not enough data
• D. False

Answer: (D)

Current through the body follows Ohm’s law: I = V/R. The body’s resistance isn’t a fixed shield; it varies a lot with conditions such as skin dryness, moisture, contact area, and the path the current takes through the body. Dry skin can present a relatively high resistance, but moisture, sweat, or damaged skin can drop resistance dramatically, sometimes to only a few kiloohms. At those lower resistances, the same voltage can push currents into the tens or hundreds of milliamperes, which are enough to cause serious injury or death, especially if the current passes through the chest and affects the heart. Lethal currents can occur even at voltages that might seem modest if the resistance is low enough or the current path is dangerous. So, the human body does not reliably prevent fatal current flow when contact is made with primary voltage.

Current through the body follows Ohm’s law: I = V/R. The body’s resistance isn’t a fixed shield; it varies a lot with conditions such as skin dryness, moisture, contact area, and the path the current takes through the body. Dry skin can present a relatively high resistance, but moisture, sweat, or damaged skin can drop resistance dramatically, sometimes to only a few kiloohms. At those lower resistances, the same voltage can push currents into the tens or hundreds of milliamperes, which are enough to cause serious injury or death, especially if the current passes through the chest and affects the heart. Lethal currents can occur even at voltages that might seem modest if the resistance is low enough or the current path is dangerous. So, the human body does not reliably prevent fatal current flow when contact is made with primary voltage.