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Using the criterion above, what is the largest voltage that will not be lethal for a shock that lasts 1.0 s

2 Answers

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Final answer:

To determine the largest voltage that will not be lethal for a shock that lasts 1.0 s, we need to consider the threshold of sensation and the maximum allowed shock. According to safety rules, shocks are apparently harmless for currents less than 5 mA. Therefore, the largest voltage that will not be lethal can be calculated using Ohm's Law.

Step-by-step explanation:

The severity of an electric shock depends on the combination of voltage and resistance. To determine the largest voltage that will not be lethal for a shock that lasts 1.0 s, we need to consider the threshold of sensation and the maximum allowed shock. According to safety rules, shocks are apparently harmless for currents less than 5 mA. Therefore, the largest voltage that will not be lethal can be calculated using Ohm's Law: V = I x R, where I is the current and R is the resistance.

Let's take the maximum allowed shock of 5 mA as an example. If the threshold of sensation is 1 mA and the maximum allowed shock is 5 mA, the total current passing through the body is 5 mA - 1 mA = 4 mA. Assuming a resistance of 200 kΩ for dry skin, we can find the largest voltage using Ohm's Law: V = I x R = (4 mA) x (200 kΩ) = 800 V.

Therefore, the largest voltage that will not be lethal for a shock that lasts 1.0 s is 800 V.

User Pnklein
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The largest voltage that will not be lethal for a shock that lasts 1.0 s is 100 volts under certain conditions.

The relationship between electric shock, current, and voltage is described by Ohm's Law: V = I × R,

where: -

V - voltage

I - current

R - resistance.

The current passing through the body is influenced by the body's resistance.

The resistance of dry skin is typically around 100,000 ohms, and wet skin can reduce this to around 1,000 ohms.

The current that can be lethal depends on various factors, but let's consider a commonly cited value of 100 milliamperes (0.1 A) as potentially lethal.

Using Ohm's Law, we can rearrange the formula to find the voltage:

V = I × R.

Let's use the worst-case scenario (wet skin) for resistance and the lethal current value:

V = 0.1 A × 1000 Ω,

V = 100 V.

Therefore, according to this simplified calculation, a voltage of 100 volts could be potentially lethal under certain conditions.

User Jay Lane
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