4 ms·

Yeah I'm not sure this story makes sense either. Shoes may act as an insulator but wedding rings and belt buckles would presumably conduct. Additionally potent

Yeah I'm not sure this story makes sense either. Shoes may act as an insulator but wedding rings and belt buckles would presumably conduct. Additionally potential differences tend to attract rather than repel unless these individuals were also charged with the same polarity as the field as far as I know.

bongodongobob 2y ago
Conduct... to where?
- rUsHeYaFuBu 2y ago
  To your body.
  - throw-qqqqq 2y ago
    No :) There must be a difference in electrical potential for current to flow between two points. If the body is insulated from ground, the body is at the same potential. No current flows. No material conducts anything :) For the same reasons, high voltage repairs can be done live from a helicopter: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9YmFHAFYwmY https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9YmFHAFYwmY Around 1:10 you can see the lineman connect the mains to the helicopter, to neutralize any potential difference. After that, the lineman and the helicopter are at the same potential as the cable, so no current flows. If someone dropped a line from the heli to the ground however.. zap!
gridspy 2y ago
When someone is talking about insulating shoes their point is that the body is electrically isolated from the floor. Without that isolation charge can travel between the two. Concrete and skin are fairly good conductors by comparison with air or insulators. Wearing a conducting ring might make it easier for charge from the air to move into your body through your skin - but it will not make it easier for that charge to get to the floor (and then to ground) from your body.
- rUsHeYaFuBu 2y ago
  > Wearing a conducting ring might make it easier for charge from the air to move into your body through your skin. Which would likely make you a pretty nice load or resistor!
  - throw-qqqqq 2y ago
    No, you need a path to ground for any current to flow. You need a difference in electrical potential more specifically. When insulated, there is no difference. Your potential is “floating”.
    - gridspy 2y ago
      Well, more correctly the difference needs to exceed the breakdown voltage of the insulation barrier. Or (depending on the insulator) some current might flow the entire time, but a limited amount.
  - gridspy 2y ago
    The skin is very resistive, the body itself is not. There is a soldier who "won the darwin award" by taking the probes of a multi-meter and after measuring their skin resistance decided to measure their internal resistance. After piercing the skin, the test current from the multimeter (9v) was sufficient to electrocute this person. Sadly it (apparently) was a fatal injury. I couldn't find a reference, but the logic makes sense (50V sufficient to kill normally, skin is most of the protection). When dealing with electricity, having items which reduce the protection your skin offers (metal rings, moisturizer, etc) is a substantial risk.
- bluGill 2y ago
  Generally when people talk about shoes (or tires) they are talking about voltages that can jump the distance from their foot to the ground through air - around the shoe. Most shoes are not great insulators - they insulate but how knows who much. electricians sometimes buy special shows that do insulate. Those shoes come with care instructions and dust on the outside compromises their insulation.
baggy_trough 2y ago
Good point, a repulsive effect would have to be the same charge sign so no bug zapper.

bongodongobob 2y ago

Conduct... to where?

rUsHeYaFuBu 2y ago
To your body.
- throw-qqqqq 2y ago
  No :) There must be a difference in electrical potential for current to flow between two points. If the body is insulated from ground, the body is at the same potential. No current flows. No material conducts anything :) For the same reasons, high voltage repairs can be done live from a helicopter: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9YmFHAFYwmY https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9YmFHAFYwmY Around 1:10 you can see the lineman connect the mains to the helicopter, to neutralize any potential difference. After that, the lineman and the helicopter are at the same potential as the cable, so no current flows. If someone dropped a line from the heli to the ground however.. zap!

gridspy 2y ago

When someone is talking about insulating shoes their point is that the body is electrically isolated from the floor. Without that isolation charge can travel between the two. Concrete and skin are fairly good conductors by comparison with air or insulators. Wearing a conducting ring might make it easier for charge from the air to move into your body through your skin - but it will not make it easier for that charge to get to the floor (and then to ground) from your body.

rUsHeYaFuBu 2y ago
> Wearing a conducting ring might make it easier for charge from the air to move into your body through your skin. Which would likely make you a pretty nice load or resistor!
- throw-qqqqq 2y ago
  No, you need a path to ground for any current to flow. You need a difference in electrical potential more specifically. When insulated, there is no difference. Your potential is “floating”.
  - gridspy 2y ago
    Well, more correctly the difference needs to exceed the breakdown voltage of the insulation barrier. Or (depending on the insulator) some current might flow the entire time, but a limited amount.
- gridspy 2y ago
  The skin is very resistive, the body itself is not. There is a soldier who "won the darwin award" by taking the probes of a multi-meter and after measuring their skin resistance decided to measure their internal resistance. After piercing the skin, the test current from the multimeter (9v) was sufficient to electrocute this person. Sadly it (apparently) was a fatal injury. I couldn't find a reference, but the logic makes sense (50V sufficient to kill normally, skin is most of the protection). When dealing with electricity, having items which reduce the protection your skin offers (metal rings, moisturizer, etc) is a substantial risk.
bluGill 2y ago
Generally when people talk about shoes (or tires) they are talking about voltages that can jump the distance from their foot to the ground through air - around the shoe. Most shoes are not great insulators - they insulate but how knows who much. electricians sometimes buy special shows that do insulate. Those shoes come with care instructions and dust on the outside compromises their insulation.

baggy_trough 2y ago

Good point, a repulsive effect would have to be the same charge sign so no bug zapper.