Killer Capacitor

[Alpine2005 10+ year member]

i talked to a guy the other day that said that a fully charge capacitor can kill or heart someone if touching both + and - terminals.

is this true?

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[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Yup.

As little as 1A of current can kill you, depending on how good of a shock you get from it.

 

[skeptikal Premium Member]

edit...

nvm

 

[mikescanlon 10+ year member]

it's waaay better for killing people than for car stereo.

but that guy would have to be oiled up or wet and *****.. you cant just chase someone down with a cap and expect to kill em.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

it's waaay better for killing people than for car stereo.
but that guy would have to be oiled up or wet and *****.. you cant just chase someone down with a cap and expect to kill em.

Check!

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

Yup.
As little as 1A of current can kill you, depending on how good of a shock you get from it.

.0006A

 

[KaeZoo 10+ year member]

I don't think a capacitor rated at 20v or less will be an electrocution danger. You don't want to wear dangly jewelry around it, but it's not enough voltage to send significant current through your heart, no matter how many farads it is. Electrocution danger starts around 30v.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

I don't think a capacitor rated at 20v or less will be an electrocution danger. You don't want to wear dangly jewelry around it, but it's not enough voltage to send significant current through your heart, no matter how many farads it is. Electrocution danger starts around 30v.

It's not the voltage that kills you, it's the current - like you mentioned. Do you not think a car battery can kill you, even though it's only 12VDC? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

You can get hit with 4500V, but if there's only a few microamps of current, you'll survive...

 

[destruction 10+ year member]

i layed my arm across my caps the other day. no effect. they are charged as well.

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

touch the one on the back of your tv!

 

[hdave 10+ year member]

even small caps (small enough to fit into stupid kids prank pens) hurt quite a bit.

im sure a 1F capacitor can deliver quite a big shock to a person.

not sure about the ablility to kill someone, but if it doesnt kill itll hurt ALOT

 

[KaeZoo 10+ year member]

It's not the voltage that kills you, it's the current - like you mentioned. Do you not think a car battery can kill you, even though it's only 12VDC? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Not except under some extreme circumstances. Yes, current is the killer, but current doesn't happen without enough electrical potential (voltage) to create the current flow. The human body has enough resistance that it takes a higher voltage to generate enough current to be lethal. Of course, there are variables that affect the resistance of the human body; sweaty skin, jewelry, and so on. But the voltage level generally accepted to be unsafe is about 30 volts. I've never seen or heard of a case where someone was electrocuted--killed--by a 12v car battery. I bet it could be done with a high power amp playing a 60hz tone, though!

Check out this link for more information:

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_3/4.html

 

[Cbass 10+ year member]

Not except under some extreme circumstances. Yes, current is the killer, but current doesn't happen without enough electrical potential (voltage) to create the current flow. The human body has enough resistance that it takes a higher voltage to generate enough current to be lethal. Of course, there are variables that affect the resistance of the human body; sweaty skin, jewelry, and so on. But the voltage level generally accepted to be unsafe is about 30 volts.

x2