Static electricity has a high voltage, so why are those electric shocks merely annoying instead of deadly? Ask Science explains
An intrepid listener wrote in with this question about my episode on static electricity:
“I was wondering why the thousands of volts discharged from static electricity is just a painful shock and but not more harmful? I understand the discharge can damage computer electronics buy why doesn’t it harm us also?” – Chris
Well Chris, that’s a great question. Let’s unravel this shocking mystery.
The Law of the Electric Land
There are 3 things people typically consider when thinking about how dangerous electricity is:
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Voltage (measured in volts) tells you how much force will be used to push through your body.
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Resistance (measured in ohms) tells you how strongly your body will resist those electrons being pushed through it.
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Current (measured in amps) tells you how many electrons will flow through you each second.
Back in 1827, a man named Georg Ohm published an early version of an equation that related these 3 things together:
Voltage = Current x Resistance
