Yes, but it's not a 100% valid one. Some things kill you by long time exposure and other things kill you if you have the wrong reaction in the wrong situation. So this argument only disproves immediate killing by electricity.
Exactly, because when the argument is something will kill you, and it doesn't, no amount of flexing degrees or occupations will refute reality. Here Pyro is actually demonstrating the scientific method instead of the authority bias like others.
@@billbill6094 I was answering a different question than you think. I was aware of most of what he said before I watched the video. I mean stuff like the radiation from the teslacoil could be long term damaging to the body. For example the UV of the plasma can cause skin cancer over the decades. Or the microwaves might cause cancer below the skin. And if you have electricity in your body it electrolyzes bodily fluids. Just because it doesn't have a short term damage, it might accumulates over the decades.
As an electrician who actually cares about learning electrical theory, It makes me laugh when I read the comments about how "I work with electricity professionally" and stuff like as if driving a car makes them knowledgeable about how a combustible engine works. Just because you twist wires or even solder microchips, it doesn't mean you know everything about electricity. In school we learn that 15 miliamps can kill. But that's literally the minimum. We rarely put warnings on disconnects if they are 120/208v, but we do if its 277/240 or more. In fact I am extremely careful the higher the voltage, not so much the higher the amps. Its a common joke with my first boss who trained me that if anyone says that amps kill over volts, then we both know they truly don't understand how it works. Its very complex and beautiful in its own way. Thanks for keeping up this argument.
Really they should put warnings at 60v or beyond, because that’s right around where OSHA says that you’ll start to experience mild pain from electrical shock. And at 500v is when you experience dielectric breakdown. Anyone who parrots “Volts hurt amps kill” should be immediately banned from any work site because that’s a very gross oversimplification. It all boils down to the voltage, the frequency, whether or not your skin was wet when you were dumb enough to touch a live wire or electrode, whether or not the electrode was in your skin, the amount of time you were touching it, and many other factors. But still, just try not to mess with electricity or live wires unless you really know what you’re doing.
Just cuz someone's an electrician doesn't mean they're smart I've met some real dumb ones normally the ones that talk a lot to try to justify their existence and some real smart ones 😅
I completly understand and agree with you, 150A cant really hurt you when youre running 1V. But it is true that Amperage is the factor that kills you when youre working with high voltages right? Not volts or resistance or something other. So the people saying amps kill are right but also wrong at the same time. Im asking because as a student im kind of confused about electricity 😆 i still dont quite understand what voltage does and why high amperage cant do harm when youre running low voltage. We were only taught basics, A - number of electrons flowing through a circuit, Resistance… but Voltage still escapes my understanding
Thats the way it should be, way too many times people just say random things and act like they are facts. Ive specifically teach my kids to say "I believe" or "im pretty sure" ect when they say something about a fact they arent 100% sure about. Its always been a pet peev of mine when people say stuff that isnt true.
Styropyro has the most sober crackhead energy I’ve ever seen. Like well spoken, up beat friendly dude. Let’s disco with death and play with lightning bolts lmao. Very smart very creative guy, love his uploads and personality. The dude is a UA-cam gem 💎
There is something so funny about the blank and emotionless smile that you do when your around stuff that could kill you in an instant. Love your youtube channel man!
@@HearMeLearn Yeah I made this before watching the entire video. I just saw the intro part where hes messing with the tesla coil and he was doing the face.
As someone who is a master electrician and has a huge love for very high voltage and dangerous projects, any time somebody asks if it's the amperage that kills, my response is always "it depends." There are so many variables in play. Thanks for this upload and explaining how electricity can be lethal. I also just appreciate seeing all of your wild electrical devices.
Just curious, what have you done to qualify yourself as a master electrician? Not trying to say you aren't, simply interested in what determines when an electrician becomes a master of their craft.
@The Roober Certainly! I went to a trade school. I'm very fortunate that the company I worked for at the time paid for it, so long as I worked for them full time, and my grades stayed at A+ I could be remembering that wrong, but I'm certain it was A+ grades. It took four years of an apprenticeship while working, so at minimum 1,000 documented hours of electrical work to get my Journeyman license. After that, I needed at least one year of working as a Journeyman to be able to take the Masters test to become eligible for a Master electrician license. Once I had finished all of that, my State's Department of Regulatory Agencies (Division of Professions and Occupations) reviewed everything and approved my license, granting me the title of Master Electrician. In the US, it varies state by state, but it's generally correct that someone must have at least 1,000 hours of work in one trade, then approval from a board of directors to be certified as a Master of their trade. I hope that helps explain the process!
and also again, where it gets you. if the bullet has managed to reach your heart, probably not gonna live. grazes your shoulder, well can't say for sure since I haven't experienced it myself, but probably going to live(assuming you get treatment).
Typical immortal behavior. He's bored of life so he does dangerous stuff that takes him to the edge, everyone gets there after hundreds of years of life
@@Nightmare_Eyes5 The video teaches bad habits to young people thats its ok to play around with very HV. It's only when they get bitten & the parents attend their funeral...The questions are asked. I personally would rather be chased by an xl bull dog. I hope this answers you're question
I'm an electrical engineering student and I clicked on this link thinking that I already knew the answer. I ended up learning some new things. Great video!
@@guydunn5354 Hopefully someone decides to be a smartass with the professor and claim that "iT's THe CuRrENT tHaT KIlLs" so you can jump in and get some bonus points
@@WCM1945 Of course electricity is always conservative and follows the path of least resistance assuming also resistance change depending on thermal tolerances. Other than batteries most devices that are high amp are generally higher voltage also. So saying that amps kill is simply a good way to keep most people safe especially when they don't understand what they are messing around with. Working with live capacitor banks or step up transformers that store hundreds of volts and tens of amps you learn to be less conductive and pay attention to gapping stored potential differences or you soon will...
I love how so many of us half jokingly say "I'm so glad Styropyro uploaded another video, because that means he didn't electrocute himself" and Drake just drops "testing high voltage electricity my haters say is lethal on myself"
Saying Amps kill is probably good enough to convey a point, sort of like the bohr model is not actually how an atom looks or works, but is good enough to convey a point. Good to know that it isn't the full story though.
Something I have learned as a rule of thumb for nearly all topics is that if someone tells you "it depends" rather than a simple straight answer, they are probably the real expert.
@@NoConsequenc3 Honestly I think its more often someone is just trying to sell something even if its just entertainment. Like "This is the fastest car in the world.."
WRONG!!! you can also trip and crack your head off of it. you are clearly not a super genius of music like myself. (i have never played guitar in my life)
Hey there, I really liked the beginning of your video when you said "people said you're wrong"... I haven't watched the original yet.... Anyway, I'm an electrician and get asked this question often, and generally answer with "It's both and other factors such as time and conductivity" or i just say "Yes" (which tends to piss people off) ... Time is a major factor.... this is why, as a sparky if I work on live wiring/switchboards or whatever, I always put my body in a stance that if I get zapped I with fall away from the conductor (live parts), so I will only get zapped for a very short time.... I'm in australia so I mainly work on 240v or 415v... However, I very very rarely work on DC voltages over 50V. Sorry for the rant, but I will like and subscribe right now. Please keep making cool vids like this!! Kind regards, Craig DeGruyter.
Very elegantly said. I've went through college with all my professors being retired master electricians, and you summarized weeks of classes in this 20min video. Even with the time restraint of 20min, you hadn't skipped a beat as far as formulas and key words go. It's very refreshing to see someone explain this topic in the detail that you did. Thank you, I'll be using it as a sole reference material to explain to others in a little more detail.
As an electrician and engineering student, this is one of the best videos regarding its subject. Especially for the short length. Very nice and informative. It is impressive that you are not an engineer or something like that.
He's actually a trained Chemist. Pretty scary if you think about it...a chemist that plays with electricity, apply some current to some chems and you can open a fucking black hole or some weird shit.
google is free bud, he learned it from the internet not in a class as we did... I'm an engineer you might have learned it by trade but you get the point
@@cZBeats Of course you can. If you understand the theory behind it. Pretty much all the information you need is there. Having it in a way that'll be easy to consume might be harder, as one subject might require knowledge of another, that requires knowledge of another, that requires knowledge of another, and if you don't understand the whole line, you won't be able to truly understand what it is you want to understand to start with.
I also can't stand it when people try backing up their false claim with their qualifications, or when they're so confident and condescending, and wrong at the same time. Which is why I absolutely love this video. You proved that they are unequivocally wrong through the fact that you're not dead.
Well you point out two fallacies. Just because someone has credentials doesn't mean they're always right when disagreeing with someone who doesn't have as good of credentials. But also, just because someone does something and doesn't experience any negative consequences doesn't mean they didn't get lucky. I can't stand it when someone says, "I've done that several times and haven't have any problems, so it must not be bad."
@@chitlitlah On the flipside, at least that person did it several times and didn't experience any problems, compared to many of these supposed experts flaunting their degrees that very likely never performed a single live experiment to back up their claims at all. They're nothing but pencil-pushers with only rote academia; they know the _theory,_ but never put it to practice themselves. Meanwhile, the other guy did, potentially multiple times, thus at least lending credence to his claims. Theory only becomes valid after experimentation renders proof. Not before. These snobby academics are nothing but theorists mindlessly regurgitating some cherry-picked factoid they likely heard mindlessly regurgitated by someone else claiming to have credentials (known as "appeal to authority") but equally few actual experimental proofs of their own, creating a cycle of pretension. And, what's worse, they're often so wrapped up in their ego, they will simply refuse to accept any proof given, regardless of how many times it can be repeated, simply because it doesn't line up with their perceived notions of understanding on the subject, on paper alone. You can show it to them - rub the proof in their faces even - and yet they'll stubbornly refuse to even consider it, let alone accept it. There's simply far too much ego infecting the science.
This is the best video about these misconsceptions I have seen so far. First I mainly expected the basic description I give when someone asks me (people do because I am an electrical engineer). To keep it short I tell them "you need current running through you for a long enough time interval to kill you, to get that you need enough voltage to overcome the resistance of your body and it is different for DC and AC and different for different AC frequencies so don't touch anything". I like that you went further and you quantified things too. The charts you show for current and duration and for perception by nerves were a ton of information by themselves and the measurements on the static shock and the tesla coil were great too. It never actually occured to me that above certain frequency you stop feeling, your nerves running your heard do not react either and the danger is basically is down to heating tissues by the passing current. But seeing it now it makes perfect sense. And you made a bunch of condescending people look all manner of stupid which is always fun 🙂. Thank you for the great video.
Remember the basic physics law that higher frequencies have more trouble travelling further because they dissipate energy faster. Ohm's law might not mean shit for the human body, but still if you replace the resistance in the equation with the complex impedance you'll see that you get a much lower current out of a given voltage at higher frequencies. So it makes sense that higher frequency currents are less dangerous.
@Google user well, because 90% of those people made up those qualifications in the first place.. and the rest 20% are just id.iots. btw, trust me, im right, im a math expert
My preferred analogy is comparing electricity to momentum. Weights is amps and volts is speed. Something fast and light will sting like a Airsoft BB. Something heavy and slow will not do much, like someone pushing you. Something with a some weight and speed will put a hole through you like a bullet. Something heavy and fast will obliterate you, like cannon ball. You need both to do damage, as your body can withstand some energy before it becomes damaged. Also like a bullet the path matters, through your heart or your head will do more damage than through a leg.
@@pappi8338 the issue is that person was flaunting me some qualification and then providing provably false information so I would say styro was justified in his actions but that's just me
I am an electrician. Hats off to you. I really did not know this in that much detail. You have a lot of cool instruments and a lot of knowledge. It must be fun to do this kind of thing and actually have the knowledge to keep yourself safe and know what you can get away with. I hope that you can keep exploring.
So when I was a EE student, this question came up several times. None of my professors said it was Voltage or Current. The answer was always " It depends", as in there are a lot of variables that go into it, just as you explain. The one thing they all said is, "Don't want to get shocked? Don't touch it!" Its the only way to be sure.
If anyone was wondering, the sign he holds up at the intro says "Don't Enter, Kills!" ( Не влезай, Убьет! ) which is basically Cyrillic "DANGER KEEP OUT!" There is a lack of fluff and subtle politeness in some Slavic languages that I just adore. I also love that you stuck "you sound and look like a lesbian" in with the other criticism about amps vs. volts. That was masterful.
Fun fact about the Osha 50v regulation: in my recent electrical safety cert training the instructor talked about how at the time those regulations were established the telephone companies had a substantial lobby, and they happened to operate their lines at 48 volts, so yeah the real reason the limit is set at 50v is bc the telephone companies didn't want to be regulated and they could pay enough to strongarm the govt lol. Edit: should probably mention the instructor my company uses actually sits on my state's board of electrical examiners.
Many old houses that used to have land lines have copper lines that still carry those 48 volts, even in a power outage. I'm a curious electrician and I've found about 90% of the homes that have the solid copper red, green, yellow and black (in my sector) have power. Charge your phones, have lights and more in a blackout. Also it used to be telephone company, not companies. Bell ran the world and invented everything. You know who else sits on the board of the NEC? CEO's of major electrical parts companies, Legrand, Hubbel, Leviton and others. Why do you think GFCI's are required everywhere and cost $35...
I mean this is true, but bear in mind engineers certainly didn’t choose 48V by accident. I’m sure much effort was made to find a compromise voltage that minimized transmission losses while maintaining an acceptable safety margin. No way 48V was chosen by accident!
@Corey Moullas while I'm sure there were technical reasons for the 48v standard I would wager a month salary that safety was bottom of the list, if it even made the page! You gotta remember this was established at a time when ppl were smoking cigarettes with asbestos filters for Christ's sake! Edit: oh and let's not forget knocking back shots of radium tonic to wash down the bread cut with plaster and the cheese preserved with embalming fluid lmfao
@@BariumCobaltNitrog3n You can't get very much current out of the phone line though. It's current limited to ~30mA. You can put a bare LED across a phone line with no current limiting resistor, and the LED lights about normal (I'm talking like an indicator LED, not a high brightness lighting LED). I discovered that as a kid playing with LEDs and phone lines. So yes, you get "free power" from the phone company if you still have a landline that runs to your house, but the amount of power you can actually get from it is minuscule. It certainly will NOT charge a phone during a power outage. Now as an adult (and engineer), I'd actually measure the voltage and current with an LED across the phone line, if I had a phone line. Only fiber runs to my house :(
Thank you, Truly...finally some useful information!!! I find your way of explaining beyond informative and very intuitive. I hope sometime you bring on some guests that are your idols and put together sensational projects...I'm sure there are some very bright minds you'd wish to meet and now you have a platform you could invite them to.
As a retired teacher I'm so impressed with this young man's love for teaching. Any school, college or university would benefit greatly from this enthusiastic and well learned Mr Science.
Sorry to put a pin in your bubble but I agree. He would benefit schools teaching. The pin part is that I believe Western schools are anti-human. The future is 1 on 1 tutors, 1 on 1 tutors would create much more jobs too. Although the future is UBI and not as much jobs, eventually people will just by cyborgs that learn from downloadable data.
@@Noconstitutionfordemocrats1 Yes its called welfare. And the government is known for being lethargic themselves. And politicians are not the ones making decisions they are just bribed and told what to do.
Absolutely. You think the government is going to kill people who will be phased out of the workforce by automation, robotics and AI? Get real.@@Noconstitutionfordemocrats1
As an electronic tech of nearly 20 years working on everything from xray supplies to consumer devices tube and solid state I absolutely agree. Glad someone else understands its not an exact science to getting zapped, depends on many factors even down to your body hydration level how severe of a shock you will get. Most of the equipment I work on uses 450vdc + as its main rail voltage with over 10A available continuous. You work one handed, I was spared once as a younger/more dumb/careless individual and got away with burns and getting knocked the fuck out. I was working on a large linear tube transmitter and didn't discharge the rail. Be careful out there guys especially with those damn microwave transformers, like the man said they are no joke and everybody is playing with them and sometimes when you play stupid games.....you get stupid prizes.
Yea there’s wayyy too many idiots playing with microwaves, and they don’t understand how scarily dangerous they are, and since they watched some UA-cam video on it, they think they’re fine to do it and then hilariously, they do the “don’t do this at home, im a professional UA-camr”. like styro is one of the only UA-camrs that I fully trust fucking with electricity, the rest scare the hell out of me
@@limitbreak2966 My microwave was arcing to the wave guide once... I could hear that classic bzzzz. It was a nice sound, but holy crap, scared the sh&t outta me. Replaced the wave guide, still sparking... Ended up bringing it to an electronics recycling centre and told them what was happening. As soon as I said "I wanted to take it apart but decided not to", the look of shock on the guys face alone was enough to tell me what I needed to know. He took some time to talk to me about microwaves and... Yeah they scary, glad he actually knew some stuff and didn't just chuck it in a pile.
Many years ago, in an electrical engineering firm my boss tried to argue with me that Voltage is the deadly component as opposed to current. I contested that it is a product of both, because a static electrical shock can generate thousands of volts without harm. Looks like we were both wrong - it's duration of the product, power, and frequency. Thank you for settling an old score 🙏
Honestly, you deserve a chair at a university. I have seen many professors who do not even have a shadow of the didactic gift as you, not to mention their equipment and their courage to experiment.
I can never believe this man exists. Dude, every video is so insanely impressive. You must have the highest confidence possible and the extreme qualifications necessary to actually pursue these topics while being comfortable putting yourself at risk
Good video. You put a LOT of work into this one. I get the "it's the current that kills" oversimplification a lot. It is, but it's also the voltage that pushes the current. The same people usually say things like "current takes the path of least resistance". Nope. It takes ALL paths of resistance. It's kinda unfortunate that our classic 50/60Hz supplies are just perfect for causing sustained muscle contraction and oodles of pain.
I'm glad to see you here Clive. Yeah, these myths are perpetuated by people trying to dumb things down so that others/themselves can better understand it. Then since so many people are saying/teaching it as fact, they think it is.
Is it unfortunate that 50/60hz stuff does what it does to us or is it inherently related to the fact that those frequencies were chosen to align with our eyes’ “framerate” or threshold to recognize movement? I have absolutely no qualifications but my intuition tells me it’s not much of a coincidence as nerves are heavily involved in both perspectives
Very informative and thought-out video, thank you for taking the effort of explaining all of this! It will definitely be a good reference about what electrical sources are hazardous. And thanks again for the shout-out :) Do you remember, when you measured 50 kV from the VTTC with a capacitive meter, how well did that relate with my technique of current times impedance? I'm glad that current measurements from a current transformer and from a thermocouple correlated well :) I might make a more detailed video about those techniques.
As a professional electrologist with over 70 years of experience, I am obligated to point out that it's the amps that kill. Styro only survived because he is a djinn and/or hologram
You might not be an electrician or engineer, but I am and you have a better handle on this than 95% of dudes I've worked with. Thanks for a cool video!
True! He's really deep into the matter and cares well what he's doing and saying. While a lot of other so called experts are just repaeting nonsense they have read or heard somewhere. One example on how horribly wrong these things can go is this here: some time ago I've read an doctoral thesis of a so called "master of science" about how the old charge and energy limits of 50 µC and 350 mJ are bull shit as this is not realistic and would limit the amount of energy electrostatic machines and devices can hold to way too low valuesto be effective. It is true that IEC 60479-2 states that the low risk of ventricular fibrillation for a healthy adult starts at around 3-5 mC (c1 line). But this just a roof limit for the *immediate risk of death* and not a green card to all kinds of stupidities one can do with electricity below these limits. Also energy will increase with the same charge being delivered at higher and higher voltages causing a unique danger on its own with all its effects on it own. As I've done quite a few experiments with electric pulses from various devices on my own body I can tell pretty much which kind of signal creates what kind of effects. I pointed out to the person in question that the electrical charge as a measure is right for stimulus strength from short pulses but that there are a few problems with the precise values given for *health danger*. Health danger is not only limited to *death from electrocution*. Even a strong muscle cramp causing damage to nerves and muscle tissue would be enough to set a limit way below 5 mC. In my experience one should never go over 10 -15 µC, if possible, as this gives you already a strong shock you won't repeat and gives you some pain in the ass for several hours in your arm. Also one has to consider the worst case scenario. Just throwing funny numbers and concepts all around the space withoput knwoing what they mean in a specific context means nothing. I am talking about large surface contact areas and shocks being strong enough to cause some kind of significant harm to health. Also one has to look at energy seperately for thermal, physical and chemical damage to the cells. Also it is about situations where one can expose themselves safely to voltages and body currents without the need to switch of the voltage. So if the stuff is too strong just take other measures in order to work without any contact to dangerous voltage. Also they have set the value for long term contact voltage to E < 50 V for low voltage which is not hazardous. This contrats other norms. But you don't need norms to know that you don't want to shock yourself with only 30 V (AC). Now I wrote a lot about this and I could write een more but what is important is that always be sceptical about what others tell you, even your own teachers and masters and try to educate yourself as best as possible.
The AVERAGE “electrician” or more accurately “wireman” doesn’t have a clue about what was shown in this video!! 😂😂 No offense I am an Electrician myself- Everyday I learn MORE interesting things about Electricity ⚡️💪🏽💪🏽
you know, in some of my electrical safety training courses, i heard that the primary cause of death from an electrocution isn't actually from the heart stopping, but actually suffocation. Most deaths are from someone mistakenly grabbing a conductive object that is electrically hot and being unable to let go due to the muscles in the hand contracting. If the path of current through the body passes through your chest, your diaphragm also contracts and you cant breathe.
reminds me something an electrician friend of mine said that lower voltages fence wires sometimes are more dangerous because you might fall numb on them rather than that explosive feeling when they are higher
This is absolutely a very real hazard. You can't let go because the muscles in your hand are involuntarily contracting, and you can't cry out for help (or cry out for any other reason, like because of the immense pain) because, well, those muscles will also be busy involuntarily contracting. You can basically just observe yourself slowly dying in agony, unless the circuit gets broken somehow. Truly a horrible way to go.
Right, but wrong. Respiratory failure (paralysis) is something that will kill you after the shock not during. Dependent on the situation (whether the source was grabbed or bumped into), different causes of death are subjected. For example, if you just bump into an electrical hazard then respiratory failure is the more likely culprit of the death. But if you grab the source (contracting your muscles and not being able to let go), then its more likely you die to heart failure or electrical burns. Also the respiratory failure won't have anything to do with the diaphragm contracting, but rather the lack of the diaphragm contracting. Keep in mind the human body can go several minutes without the lungs producing oxygen.
@@jaden2790 thank you for the comment. I wasn't told all the details obviously just relaying some info i had heard. I am surprised to learn that quick bumps are the ones to cause resp paralysis. intuition says that electricity causes a hand to contract, but you regain function as soon as the current stops, so likewise to the same muscle that controls the lungs. And i would think the quick bumps would be the ones that are more likely to cause heart failure due to throwing the heart out of sync with itself, vs a long "pause" where it can regain rhythm.
Thank you so much for clearing up this phenomenon with a very real world answer. It's obviously very complicated but you definitely helped to clear things up with this well informed video. Thanks!
Hey buddy, I'm an engineer, that means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?" because that would fall in your personal conundrum of philosophy. I solve problems like, "Is it volts or amps that kill?"
Definitely the UA-camr I anticipate uploads from the most, not just because we all worry if you’ll ever upload again after each video but because your videos are so fucking entertaining!
Sometimes I feel like Styro just forgets he's filming a video and just wants to play with the sparkly-death-rays. This channel is educational and entertainment gold.
Still thinking about the time that I, as an unintelligent 16 year old, trued to make a spot welder out of a microwave transformer. I had no idea what I was doing. But I wasn’t able to do it due to not having the proper tools to cut the transformer and put new wires in. Every time Styro mentions how dangerous those things are, I always think back to how poorly that could have gone for me.
@@ooooneeee Super lucky. It was also lucky that I was wearing rubber gloves because the microwave was greasy. I didn't know they can still hold a dangerous charge after being unplugged for days
I'm a EE but it's been so long since I've done anything remotely related to my education that I probably couldn't design my way out of a paper bag. However, this video brought back a lot of fond memories and reminded me why I wanted to become a EE in the first place. I wish resources like this existed 30+ years ago when I was in school. Great video!
Exactly the same here including being in school 30 years ago. I certainly don't trust myself to do the things he does here even if I thought I had all the math worked out.
"And use these nightmare bricks to watch horrors happen in real time!" I always love the enthusiasm he puts behind rather morbid statements. Definitely one of my favorite people on the platform
I'm so glad you made this video, for over 10 years I've been arguing with classmates and coworkers who say "one volt can kill you if the current is high enough." At my last job I had a 60 year old coworker tell me a car battery will kill you.
Reminds me of a reddit post I saw about a year back where someone hooked a car battery up to his nut sack just to prove that it wasn't going to do anything because of our natural impedance.
@@ConManJonachan If it did nothing, then the battery had no charge because you would definitely feel that. EDIT: From the reddit post in question: "The most painful thing was attaching the alligator clips from the power supply, but aside from that, I'd like to report a mild, and almost pleasant tingling sensation." Oh hey, I was right! Shocking!
I like to think that the voltage is like a hydraulic press that pushes the electrons through space and that current indicates how much energy the electrons actually have. In that sense one can imagine that in some cases no mater how hard the press pushes the electrons might constantly bump into obstacles (impeding phenomenon) losing energy and damaging potential. In some other cases, the electrons might be pushed so hard but for a short period of time that they transfer little energy. Lethality depends on energy transference, if your body somehow absorbs just enough energy in the wrong places then you're dead.
Very well explained! I work in the electrical power industry, and like most, I’ve always been told “it’s not the volts it’s the amps.” My understanding was always that, yes, it is the physical flow of current through your body that causes the damage, but in order for significant current to flow, it depends on many factors such as voltage, frequency, impedance, dielectric breakdown, etc., just as you explained. Well done!
Dude, you remind me so much of my chemistry teacher who taught us how to make thermite as a reward for getting ahead in the lesson plan. You could make a phenomenal teacher if you wanted to and could change so many lives, inspire so many young people to do good work.
Man we need more teachers like him. He inspires us to find interest and love in what most people find boring and a chore (math and science I'm referring to of course).
@@Walletau very true! I just think that the kind of kids that get lost, slipping through the cracks in the public school system, need more people like him. Either way, I'm glad he's educating people.
I'm fairly positive he's already taught as a professor before. I don't have the references to back my claim, but I'm 99% certain I've seen him post about it somewhere.
“Total incident energy” is the term we use. Mostly pertaining to arc flash energy in Cal/cm^2 to determine the minimum level of thermal resistant body suit class and electrically insulating gloves to prevent shock. Had a lot to do with voltage but some to do with max current output and ground fault protection in place. All factors have to be considered
😂you think that's good, you should see some of his older videos where the audio was slightly out of sync. between the async and the way he moves when he talks, he looked like a muppet, lol
Not only could he absolutely destroy you in a fight, he also knows many ways to give himself a completely unfair advantage even though he does not need it (permanently blinding you with a laser, temporarily blinding you with something like flash powder, locking your muscles up with a mini Tesla coil and so many other fun and exciting advantages)
@@ivoryas1696 I don't know if he still is but he was a Jiu-Jitsu teacher at one point in time (I'm not 100% sure it was Jiu-Jitsu but I'm pretty sure) this man would be extremely scary in a fight
A great video. As an "expert" in the area I can add a few more refinements: the biggest risk for cardiac arrest is when the current changes polarity just at the right time in the heart's re-polarizing process, which messes up the timing and causes fibrillation. This "critical" period might be in the order of 5ms (I don't know this for sure, but it is short). Thus you can have for example 50Hz current for a short time, and nothing (much) happens just by chance as the zero crossing didn't happen at the right time or direction. The longer the current exists, the higher the probability of getting the zero crossing and polarity at the right (or should I say wrong?) timing. Frequencies in the zone of 20-500Hz have highest risk because frequencies are low enough for the cells to respond while still having a high enough rate of change at the zero crossing to mess up the heart's re-polarization. Unfortunately it just happens that our ac mains of 50Hz or 60Hz is smack bang in the middle of the dangerous region. But even medium voltage dc can be dangerous if you were unlucky enough to touch it just at the right time when your heart was re-polarizing, and you got the polarity right. With respect to skin impedance: this does a great job of protecting us, but there are situations where the skin is bypassed, such as liquids, electrodes, large surface areas. For example, in a pool it has been demonstrated that a 6Vac circuit was enough to kill a child because it stopped them being able to swim. When the skin is bypassed, the body presents about 1kΩ impedance, so in that instance it would have been in the order of 6mA, which is enough to cause involuntary muscle action, although below the threshold for cardiac issues. Involuntary muscle action can also be dangerous e.g. if you are on top of a ladder, driving a car, performing surgery on a patient, which is why standards for electrical safety don't go anywhere near the cardiac threshold which is about 40mA. If fact, standards for electrical equipment normally have limits in the order of 0.1mA under normal condition. Literature often suggests that the threshold of sensation is about 2mA, but this is not correct. For sensation, the correct parameter is current density (e.g. mA/cm²) as opposed to absolute current. If you spread 1mA over 1cm² you probably would not feel it. But with higher voltages, an arc can form just prior to contact, which concentrates the current into less than 1mm². Under that condition, 1mA is painful, an even currents as low as 0.05mA can be felt. So in that case, the open circuit voltage also affects the outcome, since it determines if an arc can occur allowing the current to be concentrated.
Wow, you really know your stuff when it comes to electrical safety! I think it's great to have experts like you around to help keep us all informed. I do have a different perspective on a few things though, if you don't mind me sharing. Regarding the critical period for cardiac arrest, I agree that it is a very short time frame and the frequency of the current plays a huge role. However, I would argue that it's not just about the duration of the current and frequency, but also the individual's overall health and any pre-existing heart conditions. This can greatly affect their vulnerability to electrical shock and increase the likelihood of fibrillation. Regarding skin impedance, I agree that it provides a great protective barrier, but you mentioned situations where it can be bypassed. I would add that the type of electrical current can also have an impact, even if the skin is not bypassed. For example, alternating current can be more dangerous than direct current because of the way it affects the muscles. This can lead to involuntary muscle movements, which can be particularly dangerous in certain situations such as driving, operating machinery, or even just walking. Finally, I would argue that the threshold for electrical safety is not just about the absolute current, but also the duration of the exposure and the individual's overall health and susceptibility to electrical shock. These are all important factors that need to be taken into consideration when setting standards for electrical safety. Overall, I appreciate your expertise and knowledge on this topic, and I think it's great that we can have a healthy debate about these important issues.
Nice, thanks for adding those details. I seem to remember from all those repeated trainings we have to go through to retain our certification to work on powered electrical things that the vulnerable period of the heart is about 20ms out of the approximately 800ms for one cycle (assuming 75bpm heart rate). That as long as you turn of the current before the heart reaches this period it will keep on beating and so that is where the design of protective circuits like ground current fault detectors can have a huge impact on the probability that such protective device will save you. If its activation time is lets say few ms then the probability a current can hit your heart at the wrong moment is just a few %. Together with all the other protections like skin impedance and avoiding high enough voltage to even be touchable the overall risk can be dropped to very tiny number. You also reminded me of the funny story we usually hear at those safety trainings: on a construction site a worker grabed the frame of an electrical cement mixer by one hand to steady himself while he removed his shoe with the other hand to shake a stone out of it. Another guy saw him doing this, grabbed a showel, ran up to him and broke his arm with the shovel handle. The reason was the guy just had the safety training where he was told "if you see someone holding onto an electical device and shaking weirdly use a non-conductive object to move them away from the electrical device". In the shaking of the shoe looked weird enough and in the panic to do it quickly he broke the arm that was holding the cement mixer. I don't know if this actually ever happened but it sounds plausible enough to me.
Being an expert as you state you are havn't you forgotten the influence that andrenalin causes. It is my believe that many people not used to getting an electric shock get so scared (and produce so much andrenalin) that this is really that what kill's them. Through years in my younger days I used to get at least one shock a day in average, dangerous ones included, but I didn't care too much as I was used to it. From first responders to car accidents I have been told that some times they find people dead vurtually without a scratch and others smashed to bits but still alive. That points in the same conclusion of that it is the shock that is killing. Also from hunting I know that you may kill a bird or an animal with absolutely no life thredning wounds but if it isn't killed at first it must be harmed so badly that it vurtually bleed to death. You can hit it with multiple bullets but it won't die for some time.
It's an interesting point, although I'd debate the role of health. There's a lot of factors involved and fortunately, most of the time, these factors are such that we just get a tingle, a bit of pain, a swear word and live to tell the story (which I have experienced many times being a designer of high voltage circuits). Some factors not mentioned yet include the path of the current through the body, the impedance of the return path, for example. But one in a hundred or one in a thousand the stars don't align and fibrillation occurs. When we have these rare events there is always the tendency to assign reasons such as the person's health or adrenalin, but really it is just raw luck, the timing, amplitude and polarity of the current is just right to mess up the heart's feedback loop. If you have ever tried to design a feedback loop, you will know they are tricky things especially when there are non-linear elements involved. So the idea that an external current, if nicely timed, can upset a previously stable feedback loop is not unreasonable. Fibrillation by the way is not stopping the heart. It just goes into a higher frequency mode which is too fast to support normal circulation. The modern approach to defibrillation is to watch this higher frequency waveform, and decide just the right time to give a new pulse which can kick things back into normal, slower, rhythm. This newer approach requires less energy and is more successful than a high energy pulse delivered at a random timing.
I've always wanted a video like this. I had many of this questions while I was in university, I asked my physics teachers or teachers from electrical related subjects about "how dangerous" or "why does this doesn't kill me?" and they never gave me very good answers. It's okay if they didn't know, but they always gave me very simplified and wrong explanations. I know that asking questions regarding safety is hard because no one wants to say something that could get you killed, so I can't blame them too much. After watching this I don't think I would like to touch any tesla coil though haha
The problem is that when the answer is complicated, 90% of people will remember it wrong, so with safety-related things, they boil it down to something most people will remember. The amps vs. volts thing, for example, is so tradesmen know what to worry about when dealing with _common_ electrical sources.
@@i-_-am-_-g1467 last time I checked ElectroBOOM was still alive. Has anything changed?
26 днів тому+2
There’s a short answer and a long answer, but really, both can be correct. Let me explain with an analogy in the form of a question: Is it height, time of fall, acceleration, final velocity, or the impact that kills? All these variables are related; one depends on the other. The lethality of the final impact will depend on these variables (g, h -> t -> vf). But in the end, it’s the shock that kills you. The same happens with electrical supply: the current in a circuit depends on the voltage and resistance. However, electric current conceptually is the electric charge flowing in a circuit per unit time (C/s), but voltage (EMF) and resistance are not electrical phenomena that "travel" around the circuit itself (even with dielectric breakdown due to high voltage effects or even considering the expansion of the electric field). So while it is true that lethality will depend like you say on voltage, resistance, current and even frequency (AC) or exposure time (very important) and the current itself depends on the voltage an resistance itself. In the end, what kills you is the current flow (the shock). In summary, that’s what we’re referring to. That is, it is not only about the magnitude of the current that kills but also the concept associated with the transfer of electrical charge per second around. And second, the experiment with the capacitor makes no sense: the capacitive reactance is inversely proportional to the capacitance and frequency. Therefore, if the frequency is low (50Hz/60Hz) but the capacitance is high, the capacitive reactance is low, and of course the capacitor will allow high electric current. In any case, the capacitor does allow high current at time equal to ZERO, in AC or DC. It makes no sense to measure its electrical resistance (ohms) because that so-called "capacitive resistance" (capacitive reactance) varies with time (DC) and frequency (AC). The resistance you are measuring means nothing for a capacitor as such. What matters in this case is the reactance (Xc) or the impedance (R + iXc) or the electrical charge of the capacitor at a given moment in time.
Very well done. . . I actually learned a few things. I have understood for fifty odd years that the "skin effect" was what kept a Tesla coil from being deadly; the detail that high frequencies can be so high that our nervous systems simply can't react to them fast enough to cause trouble was quite fascinating.
A Tesla coil operates with a very high frequency and it's ability to deliver a large current is limited. However, as you say, higher frequency currents tend to favour the outside 'skin' of a conductor, but it's not about the nervous system not reacting. VandeGraph generators deliver a walloping static charge of up to 200,000 volts but the generator simply cannot deliver a large current. You can receive a decent shock from static electricity in a very dry climate, where the voltage can be up to 40,000 volts.
@@snooks5607 "so are you saying styropyro is wrong from 16:51 onwards?" Yes; although misleading is a more accurate description. He has connected the current measurement to the primary of the tesla coil, not the secondary. A better method is to use the breakdown voltage of air, typically 10 kilovolts per centimeter. Assuming a 1 meter spark, that's 100 times 10 thousand or a *million volts* . But what is the amps? The *Power* of a transformer does not change much. So if he had 100 watts going IN, then he will still have 100 watts (or less) going out. So a million volts times 0.0001 amps = 100 watts. That's 1/10th of a milliamp, at most. If he is driving the tesla coil with a thousand watts, then he's got a milliamp current on the output. You'd get a shock, but it is relatively harmless.
@@-sturmfalke- On further study of the phenomenon, the primary and secondary coils are resonant with capacitors (on the primary) and capacitance to ground (of the secondary) and as such a circulating current exists that exceed either the input or output currents. Measuring this circulating current says nothing about what you get out of the circuit. Tesla coils are "high Q" so if the Q is 100, the circulating currents could be as much as (or exactly) 100 times the actual output current. Interestingly, so is the voltage! This phenomenon is used to advantage in a magnetic loop antenna.
You make the best chemistry/science videos, in fact I wouldn’t be watching nearly the amount of chemistry content creators that I do now if I hadn’t of found you. Much thanks for the unbelievably, witty, educational, and entertaining content I’ve every had the privilege of enjoying.
Thank you for making this video. You are far better at explaining this than I ever have been. I've been sending people to this video because you do a far better job. As well also having the ability along with being insane enough to actually prove the point with yourself.
Excellent video! I work in the UPS industry and deal with the hazards you are describing. You have done an amazing job of breaking down and explaining the different hazards of working with electrical circuits of different designs. It's not just one thing that can kill, all of the factors under certain conditions are important, especially time! Great job and keep up the good work!
@@levyroth Did you not see where he touches 40 amps and is fine? The whole point of the video is amperage wont kill unless certain voltage, frequency, impedance and time conditions are met, HOWEVER voltage ALSO wont kill unless certain amperage, frequency, impedance and time conditions are met. And x wont kill unless y and z are met. Hence EVERYTHING is circumstantial because its stupid to oversimplify (they ALL affect the likelihood of death), as shown in the video.
I like when I go into a video thinking I know the answer to something, and then realize "just because i know the answer, there was still something new to learn". Seriously, this is one of the best educational youtube channels that exists. Always happy to see you show up in my sub-feed.
I was raised by a "science hobbyist" and would call myself one. I have no formal training involving electricity (geology and chemistry) but have often said if electricity ends up killing me it will most likely be from the clouds. It made me smile hearing you say the same. All joking aside, I often tell people that messing with electricity is like hunting for mushrooms. Don't even try it, if you're not completely confident with your knowledge and willing to back it up with your life.
Great explanations. I knew it wasn't as simple as amps and volts that kill, and of course the two are related. But I had NO IDEA just how complicated it truly is. Nice job.
Dear friend ! Congratulations on a professionally flawless presentation! I am a 68-year-old electrical engineer from Hungary. Like you, I also experienced the Tesla coil, static high voltage. (I was 6 years old when I picked up my father's soldering iron for the first time... I think you can imagine the rest. I would like to share one "special" case with you. 10 years ago I measured a 15 Watt RF amplifier operating at 900 megahertz. By chance, when I reached for the For a BNC connector to connect the dummy load, I held it so that my fingertip touched the center pin of the connector. I felt a burning sensation and smelled of burnt leather. A small black dot formed on my finger, even though it only ran on a 12 volt battery. It was a miniature microwave oven. on those few millimeters. There is a Hungarian proverb: "A good priest learns until he dies". I wish you more success and good health!
Thank you for sharing! Truly incredible I can learn of your experience from across the world, through a machine made and powered by the understanding of electricity. Such a pragmatic proverb as well. Best fortunes!
Indeed! Both my sons became electrical engineers. (the older one has a degree in English, the younger one completed another 2-year Android course (USA online) and has been working successfully as a programmer for many years. I studied in the analog era, but I don't mind, because sound - studio technology and High-end my favorite. My job and my hobby are the same!@@moh6410
I actually remember my Physics teacher telling me pretty much what you explained here. I've wanted a video that explains this as you've done and you've done a fab job! Thank you!
@Laughing In Canada we have to go to school for like 3 months a year as part of our apprenticeship for electrical( and most other skilled trades eith a ticket)
Everything very well explained! Thanks!
I'm still lost, I need someone to explain it with more electric shocks. Know anyone who could help with that?
half of the video flew over my head
"What is that? A crossover episode?" 🤣
As an Electrician with experience of more than 50 years I disagree. It's neither the amps nor the volts but in fact, it's the Devil which kills you.
So no video saying it's wrong? Good
We should spread more misinformation in the comments so Styro can upload more of these cool demonstrations!
so true
Just diss moths, he'll be all over that. He loves his moths.
Only from nile green
Oh hi nile green
Moths are lethal!
I love that pyro's defense for everything he claims is "well I'm not dead", and it's actually a super valid one.
Yes, but it's not a 100% valid one. Some things kill you by long time exposure and other things kill you if you have the wrong reaction in the wrong situation. So this argument only disproves immediate killing by electricity.
@@benrex7775 Did you only watch 5 minutes into the video? Time affected is a huge point here.
Exactly, because when the argument is something will kill you, and it doesn't, no amount of flexing degrees or occupations will refute reality. Here Pyro is actually demonstrating the scientific method instead of the authority bias like others.
@@billbill6094 I was answering a different question than you think. I was aware of most of what he said before I watched the video. I mean stuff like the radiation from the teslacoil could be long term damaging to the body. For example the UV of the plasma can cause skin cancer over the decades. Or the microwaves might cause cancer below the skin. And if you have electricity in your body it electrolyzes bodily fluids. Just because it doesn't have a short term damage, it might accumulates over the decades.
An electric shock can make serious damages to your heart. Making it skip a beat and in the long run could potentionally kill your later in life.
As an electrician who actually cares about learning electrical theory, It makes me laugh when I read the comments about how "I work with electricity professionally" and stuff like as if driving a car makes them knowledgeable about how a combustible engine works. Just because you twist wires or even solder microchips, it doesn't mean you know everything about electricity.
In school we learn that 15 miliamps can kill. But that's literally the minimum. We rarely put warnings on disconnects if they are 120/208v, but we do if its 277/240 or more. In fact I am extremely careful the higher the voltage, not so much the higher the amps. Its a common joke with my first boss who trained me that if anyone says that amps kill over volts, then we both know they truly don't understand how it works. Its very complex and beautiful in its own way. Thanks for keeping up this argument.
Really they should put warnings at 60v or beyond, because that’s right around where OSHA says that you’ll start to experience mild pain from electrical shock. And at 500v is when you experience dielectric breakdown. Anyone who parrots “Volts hurt amps kill” should be immediately banned from any work site because that’s a very gross oversimplification. It all boils down to the voltage, the frequency, whether or not your skin was wet when you were dumb enough to touch a live wire or electrode, whether or not the electrode was in your skin, the amount of time you were touching it, and many other factors. But still, just try not to mess with electricity or live wires unless you really know what you’re doing.
@@therealspeedwagon1451
I can't personally tell what knowledge level is safe enough...
any tips? 😅
Just cuz someone's an electrician doesn't mean they're smart I've met some real dumb ones normally the ones that talk a lot to try to justify their existence and some real smart ones 😅
@@end_musix1636
*_Bruh_*
I completly understand and agree with you, 150A cant really hurt you when youre running 1V. But it is true that Amperage is the factor that kills you when youre working with high voltages right? Not volts or resistance or something other. So the people saying amps kill are right but also wrong at the same time. Im asking because as a student im kind of confused about electricity 😆 i still dont quite understand what voltage does and why high amperage cant do harm when youre running low voltage. We were only taught basics, A - number of
electrons flowing through a circuit, Resistance… but Voltage still escapes my understanding
I absolutely love how you back your findings up with numbers. You do the testing, and show the data. Pretty hard to contest that.
the only hard part is people who just read the name of the video and then comment what their 2 braincells thinks
styro is amazing indeed
@@BamsyTheSergal Like the pinned comment?
Thats the way it should be, way too many times people just say random things and act like they are facts. Ive specifically teach my kids to say "I believe" or "im pretty sure" ect when they say something about a fact they arent 100% sure about. Its always been a pet peev of mine when people say stuff that isnt true.
Your videos have old youtube vibes to them and i love it
I love how he always sounds like hes super excited and dead inside simultaneously
What else do you think the electricity is for?
YES!!!
That's the best description I could possibly imagine.
Perfect description
all college student be like
Styropyro has the most sober crackhead energy I’ve ever seen. Like well spoken, up beat friendly dude. Let’s disco with death and play with lightning bolts lmao. Very smart very creative guy, love his uploads and personality. The dude is a UA-cam gem 💎
I've been subbed for years, and very glad he's been uploading a little more recently.
Thats why he is still here haha.
If someone told me styro was a full blown crackhead who made a UA-cam channel to buy more crack. I'd believe it lol
I would say he’s not very smart. He is a genius. Thats why he seems half-crazy
He's Doc Emmet Brown prequel years ;P
7:54 What is that editors note?! Lmao
yo mama so fat her capacitance is measured in millifarads
💀
Most big brain yo momma joke lmao
I'm so happy you pointed that out🤣
I mean....facts tho
There is something so funny about the blank and emotionless smile that you do when your around stuff that could kill you in an instant. Love your youtube channel man!
I love you too.
love you too
isn't the entire point of the video we just watched that it couldn't kill you? At least the stuff that he did
@@HearMeLearn Yeah I made this before watching the entire video. I just saw the intro part where hes messing with the tesla coil and he was doing the face.
@@bigearsinc.7201 lame
As someone who is a master electrician and has a huge love for very high voltage and dangerous projects, any time somebody asks if it's the amperage that kills, my response is always "it depends." There are so many variables in play.
Thanks for this upload and explaining how electricity can be lethal. I also just appreciate seeing all of your wild electrical devices.
Just curious, what have you done to qualify yourself as a master electrician? Not trying to say you aren't, simply interested in what determines when an electrician becomes a master of their craft.
@The Roober It's literally a qualification called "Master Electrician" I believe.
@@RSpracticalshooting Most likely a master's degree from a university
@@RSpracticalshooting you get trained by a green skinned midget on some lost planet who is also a master
@The Roober Certainly! I went to a trade school. I'm very fortunate that the company I worked for at the time paid for it, so long as I worked for them full time, and my grades stayed at A+ I could be remembering that wrong, but I'm certain it was A+ grades.
It took four years of an apprenticeship while working, so at minimum 1,000 documented hours of electrical work to get my Journeyman license. After that, I needed at least one year of working as a Journeyman to be able to take the Masters test to become eligible for a Master electrician license. Once I had finished all of that, my State's Department of Regulatory Agencies (Division of Professions and Occupations) reviewed everything and approved my license, granting me the title of Master Electrician.
In the US, it varies state by state, but it's generally correct that someone must have at least 1,000 hours of work in one trade, then approval from a board of directors to be certified as a Master of their trade.
I hope that helps explain the process!
"I'm not an electrician or an engineer, but I do have a bunch of terrifying electrical devices"
this man is a national treasure
Not only that, but he says it in the same tone and relaxed enthusiasm as a ski instructor teaching 5-year-olds on a bunny slope.
national security risk at the same time tho
It was at this point i clicked the thumbs up button
The fact that he has those terrifying devices and is still alive is proof enough.
If you're building a Tesla coil from scratch, you're both an electrician and an engineer.
Honestly the defense of "if I'm wrong, I'll be dead. Look at that, I'm still alive!" is actually really valid
As a qualified electricity professional, I can definitely tell you that zappy things go ouchie.
Wait… REALLY?!?
Outstanding! The ability to communicate in such a succinct manner is becoming a lost art. You, sir, are a master of communication!
Woah, zappy things can communicate!?
lol
As a fellow electrician, Zappy thing from the neutral feels more ouchie than the black
It's like arguing what kills: a bullet, weight or velocity.
Well, all of it combined.
best explanation, holy fuck.
Quiet down, or you'll reignite the 45 acp vs 9mm debate back in here
What if
3kg bullet
But
0.1m/s
@@crackedemerald4930 if it's very pointy - can kill😅 same as electricity kills only when it goes through vital organs
and also again, where it gets you. if the bullet has managed to reach your heart, probably not gonna live. grazes your shoulder, well can't say for sure since I haven't experienced it myself, but probably going to live(assuming you get treatment).
I've been trying to figure out how old styropyro is, and I think this video confirms he's actually thousands of years old and is immortal.
yeah he just pretends he's 30
I'd say so myself
umm he was the first bolt of lightning and when he dies we loose something needed
Like a Newt Scamander -ish Nicholas Flamel.
Typical immortal behavior. He's bored of life so he does dangerous stuff that takes him to the edge, everyone gets there after hundreds of years of life
PLEASE STOP THROWING APPLES OUT OF THE WINDOW THE DOCTORS ARE GETTING EXTREMELY SCARED
Explain yourself about throwing apples out of the window in relation of the above video on how to kill you're with electricity
@@ben4518 6:16 and 15:34, now please watch the video
@@Nightmare_Eyes5 Ok, Ive watched this stupid boy playing with power, what do you want me to say?
@@ben4518 how was it?
@@Nightmare_Eyes5 The video teaches bad habits to young people thats its ok to play around with very HV. It's only when they get bitten & the parents attend their funeral...The questions are asked. I personally would rather be chased by an xl bull dog. I hope this answers you're question
I'm an electrical engineering student and I clicked on this link thinking that I already knew the answer. I ended up learning some new things. Great video!
Same, now I have a bunch of voltage/current/power stuff running through my head unrelated to my EE exam tonight, whoops…
@@guydunn5354 Hopefully someone decides to be a smartass with the professor and claim that "iT's THe CuRrENT tHaT KIlLs" so you can jump in and get some bonus points
Don't get fooled. Ohm's Law is still at work.
@@WCM1945
Of course electricity is always conservative and follows the path of least resistance assuming also resistance change depending on thermal tolerances. Other than batteries most devices that are high amp are generally higher voltage also. So saying that amps kill is simply a good way to keep most people safe especially when they don't understand what they are messing around with. Working with live capacitor banks or step up transformers that store hundreds of volts and tens of amps you learn to be less conductive and pay attention to gapping stored potential differences or you soon will...
as an electronics engineer i'd like the electrical engineer to read my comment above . lol
I love how so many of us half jokingly say "I'm so glad Styropyro uploaded another video, because that means he didn't electrocute himself" and Drake just drops "testing high voltage electricity my haters say is lethal on myself"
no way is his name drake
@@carryingautoclicks7501 yes it is
@@carryingautoclicks7501he can make sick tunes with electronics
@@franciscosoares2440 holy shit
styropuro, uhh i mean drake the kinda guy to take heavy precautions so he doesn't end up being the slaughter gang CEO
We have gathered here on this momentous occasion... to appreciate the never aging styropyro
Some say he’s older than Paul Rudd…
202
???
210thlikrt
211n
O2
W?
thank you later for what? a decreased attention span? learning less from the videos I watch?
I think the electricity has killed all of Styro's skin cells so he can't age.
It is the vamps...
Its the stupidity that kills. Volts and Amps come later.
As an electrician I will stop saying amps kill. Thank you for the excellent educating skills
Watts Kill* ?
(note the *)
No, its a useful understanding in your work.
Saying Amps kill is probably good enough to convey a point, sort of like the bohr model is not actually how an atom looks or works, but is good enough to convey a point. Good to know that it isn't the full story though.
I belive you because you have money
Without Volts you won't get any amps.
Something I have learned as a rule of thumb for nearly all topics is that if someone tells you "it depends" rather than a simple straight answer, they are probably the real expert.
Yes! The universe as a whole is incomprehensibly complex
@@Dogedows
Understatement, but an understandable one!
YES, I’ve noticed this too.
Yup, if something seems incredibly cut and dry someone is lying or stupid.
@@NoConsequenc3 Honestly I think its more often someone is just trying to sell something even if its just entertainment. Like "This is the fastest car in the world.."
as a guitar player, amps only kill if you drop it on someone
😂
Or they're vintage and have no ground and electrocute you.
@@XXMARIOXX-dk4popp😢ppla🎉
WRONG!!! you can also trip and crack your head off of it. you are clearly not a super genius of music like myself. (i have never played guitar in my life)
got a point
Hey there, I really liked the beginning of your video when you said "people said you're wrong"... I haven't watched the original yet....
Anyway, I'm an electrician and get asked this question often, and generally answer with "It's both and other factors such as time and conductivity" or i just say "Yes" (which tends to piss people off) ... Time is a major factor.... this is why, as a sparky if I work on live wiring/switchboards or whatever, I always put my body in a stance that if I get zapped I with fall away from the conductor (live parts), so I will only get zapped for a very short time....
I'm in australia so I mainly work on 240v or 415v... However, I very very rarely work on DC voltages over 50V.
Sorry for the rant, but I will like and subscribe right now. Please keep making cool vids like this!!
Kind regards, Craig DeGruyter.
Very elegantly said. I've went through college with all my professors being retired master electricians, and you summarized weeks of classes in this 20min video. Even with the time restraint of 20min, you hadn't skipped a beat as far as formulas and key words go. It's very refreshing to see someone explain this topic in the detail that you did. Thank you, I'll be using it as a sole reference material to explain to others in a little more detail.
Trade school: give us $2000 and 6 months of your time.
Styropyro: Got a lunch break homie.
This is all you learned in weeks?
@@attacker7124 well, some people are a bit slow...
@@spvillano Everybody in trade school is slow, so it is not "some" in this case.
@@timeup2549 i thought trade school was for poor people not dumb people.
As an electrician and engineering student, this is one of the best videos regarding its subject. Especially for the short length. Very nice and informative. It is impressive that you are not an engineer or something like that.
He's actually a trained Chemist. Pretty scary if you think about it...a chemist that plays with electricity, apply some current to some chems and you can open a fucking black hole or some weird shit.
google is free bud, he learned it from the internet not in a class as we did... I'm an engineer you might have learned it by trade but you get the point
@@anibaltv845 lol someone didnt look at his creds
@@anibaltv845 have you seen some of the stuff he does? You cant do that from google
@@cZBeats Of course you can. If you understand the theory behind it. Pretty much all the information you need is there. Having it in a way that'll be easy to consume might be harder, as one subject might require knowledge of another, that requires knowledge of another, that requires knowledge of another, and if you don't understand the whole line, you won't be able to truly understand what it is you want to understand to start with.
7:55 the editor's note killed me faster than electricity ever could
Haha! Wow! Great spot! I didn’t see it first go, only when I checked your time stamp 😂
Yo I wish this comment got blown up
LMFAO I missed it also.
Glad someone else noticed this!
Commenting to try to keep this higher in the comments because I fricken cackled when I saw that.
I only listen to in depth explanations with your mom jokes in them. Thank you for the good work.
I also can't stand it when people try backing up their false claim with their qualifications, or when they're so confident and condescending, and wrong at the same time. Which is why I absolutely love this video. You proved that they are unequivocally wrong through the fact that you're not dead.
Dunning-Kruger effect
These people are qualified only to drag wires across the room, nothing more
Well you point out two fallacies. Just because someone has credentials doesn't mean they're always right when disagreeing with someone who doesn't have as good of credentials. But also, just because someone does something and doesn't experience any negative consequences doesn't mean they didn't get lucky. I can't stand it when someone says, "I've done that several times and haven't have any problems, so it must not be bad."
Yup, the classic argument from authority
@@chitlitlah On the flipside, at least that person did it several times and didn't experience any problems, compared to many of these supposed experts flaunting their degrees that very likely never performed a single live experiment to back up their claims at all. They're nothing but pencil-pushers with only rote academia; they know the _theory,_ but never put it to practice themselves. Meanwhile, the other guy did, potentially multiple times, thus at least lending credence to his claims.
Theory only becomes valid after experimentation renders proof. Not before. These snobby academics are nothing but theorists mindlessly regurgitating some cherry-picked factoid they likely heard mindlessly regurgitated by someone else claiming to have credentials (known as "appeal to authority") but equally few actual experimental proofs of their own, creating a cycle of pretension. And, what's worse, they're often so wrapped up in their ego, they will simply refuse to accept any proof given, regardless of how many times it can be repeated, simply because it doesn't line up with their perceived notions of understanding on the subject, on paper alone. You can show it to them - rub the proof in their faces even - and yet they'll stubbornly refuse to even consider it, let alone accept it.
There's simply far too much ego infecting the science.
This is the best video about these misconsceptions I have seen so far.
First I mainly expected the basic description I give when someone asks me (people do because I am an electrical engineer). To keep it short I tell them "you need current running through you for a long enough time interval to kill you, to get that you need enough voltage to overcome the resistance of your body and it is different for DC and AC and different for different AC frequencies so don't touch anything".
I like that you went further and you quantified things too. The charts you show for current and duration and for perception by nerves were a ton of information by themselves and the measurements on the static shock and the tesla coil were great too. It never actually occured to me that above certain frequency you stop feeling, your nerves running your heard do not react either and the danger is basically is down to heating tissues by the passing current. But seeing it now it makes perfect sense.
And you made a bunch of condescending people look all manner of stupid which is always fun 🙂.
Thank you for the great video.
Remember the basic physics law that higher frequencies have more trouble travelling further because they dissipate energy faster. Ohm's law might not mean shit for the human body, but still if you replace the resistance in the equation with the complex impedance you'll see that you get a much lower current out of a given voltage at higher frequencies. So it makes sense that higher frequency currents are less dangerous.
I like your basic description.
@Google user well, because 90% of those people made up those qualifications in the first place.. and the rest 20% are just id.iots. btw, trust me, im right, im a math expert
the fact that styropyro is still alive after all the stuff he's built and done.. he's got the most qualifications of anyone on the internet
stop licking 9volt battery's🤣🤣🤣
Compared to Nikolai Tesla, Styro's vidz are Tame.
Entertaining for sure, but not tickling the clouds with arcs.
@@user-mp3eq6ir5b Counterpoint: Nikolai Tesla isn't on the internet.
He certainly has the best posture… speaking as a physio 😉
How come both of you nerds get Nikola Tesla's name wrong?
My preferred analogy is comparing electricity to momentum. Weights is amps and volts is speed. Something fast and light will sting like a Airsoft BB. Something heavy and slow will not do much, like someone pushing you. Something with a some weight and speed will put a hole through you like a bullet. Something heavy and fast will obliterate you, like cannon ball. You need both to do damage, as your body can withstand some energy before it becomes damaged. Also like a bullet the path matters, through your heart or your head will do more damage than through a leg.
Props for your footnote at 7:55, it's nice to see proper notation on UA-cam.
thank you for bringing me back to that point to read that, your contribution to society will be noted.
🤣Yeah I laughed at that too!
Beat me to it
Omg I missed that part. Thanks for sharing.
witty scientific your momma jokes are the best.
One of the few individuals who takes in feedback, responds in kind and manages to educate people. Cheers to you, mate.
well one of his replies he's calls someone stupid but in general, yes
500th
@@pappi8338 the issue is that person was flaunting me some qualification and then providing provably false information so I would say styro was justified in his actions but that's just me
@@the_undead autocorrect is not your friend
@@GroomlakeArea51 more like voice-to-text is not my friend
I am an electrician. Hats off to you. I really did not know this in that much detail. You have a lot of cool instruments and a lot of knowledge. It must be fun to do this kind of thing and actually have the knowledge to keep yourself safe and know what you can get away with. I hope that you can keep exploring.
This kid is awesome I’m impressed
@@Oregon420-i2s He's litearlly 30 years old, you know.
@@Oregon420-i2sHe is a vampire, just looks young.
go back to school & learn about amps & how it kills, I would`nt have you wire a plug, let alone a socket, you could get the poles confused
styro just camly and ingeniously proving people wrong. what just a cool fella fr
Just the fact this guy is still alive absolutely proves that he knows what he's talking about
The craziest scientists are the ones who know the most.
literal living proof
@@MCWaffles2003-1for real
❤😂🎉
So when I was a EE student, this question came up several times. None of my professors said it was Voltage or Current. The answer was always " It depends", as in there are a lot of variables that go into it, just as you explain. The one thing they all said is, "Don't want to get shocked? Don't touch it!" Its the only way to be sure.
Unless it's a high enough voltage, then you don't have to touch it
@@ChristopherHeinz57 at that point why are your ever even in the vicinity of that thing with high enough voltage to create mini lightning
@@skeptic_lemonhow else are you supposed to become the flash?
@@dodonooblord6224 Tesla coil!
@@skeptic_lemon because my job requires it
If anyone was wondering, the sign he holds up at the intro says "Don't Enter, Kills!" ( Не влезай, Убьет! ) which is basically Cyrillic "DANGER KEEP OUT!" There is a lack of fluff and subtle politeness in some Slavic languages that I just adore.
I also love that you stuck "you sound and look like a lesbian" in with the other criticism about amps vs. volts. That was masterful.
The top writing is in georgian and the bottom one is the one you mentioned about
And when he gets a shock he sounds like he's 6. That giggling is really cute.
Dude that sent me when I saw that
@@jacobprice3079 Where did it send you?
i’m croatian but can read cyrillic and i can usually understand these signs, including this one!
I really appreciate you explaining this so clearly. Understanding this concept has been so hard for me in the past.
He returns with the gift of safety
😂
Fun fact about the Osha 50v regulation: in my recent electrical safety cert training the instructor talked about how at the time those regulations were established the telephone companies had a substantial lobby, and they happened to operate their lines at 48 volts, so yeah the real reason the limit is set at 50v is bc the telephone companies didn't want to be regulated and they could pay enough to strongarm the govt lol.
Edit: should probably mention the instructor my company uses actually sits on my state's board of electrical examiners.
Important historical comment
Many old houses that used to have land lines have copper lines that still carry those 48 volts, even in a power outage. I'm a curious electrician and I've found about 90% of the homes that have the solid copper red, green, yellow and black (in my sector) have power. Charge your phones, have lights and more in a blackout.
Also it used to be telephone company, not companies. Bell ran the world and invented everything.
You know who else sits on the board of the NEC? CEO's of major electrical parts companies, Legrand, Hubbel, Leviton and others. Why do you think GFCI's are required everywhere and cost $35...
I mean this is true, but bear in mind engineers certainly didn’t choose 48V by accident. I’m sure much effort was made to find a compromise voltage that minimized transmission losses while maintaining an acceptable safety margin.
No way 48V was chosen by accident!
@Corey Moullas while I'm sure there were technical reasons for the 48v standard I would wager a month salary that safety was bottom of the list, if it even made the page! You gotta remember this was established at a time when ppl were smoking cigarettes with asbestos filters for Christ's sake!
Edit: oh and let's not forget knocking back shots of radium tonic to wash down the bread cut with plaster and the cheese preserved with embalming fluid lmfao
@@BariumCobaltNitrog3n You can't get very much current out of the phone line though. It's current limited to ~30mA. You can put a bare LED across a phone line with no current limiting resistor, and the LED lights about normal (I'm talking like an indicator LED, not a high brightness lighting LED). I discovered that as a kid playing with LEDs and phone lines. So yes, you get "free power" from the phone company if you still have a landline that runs to your house, but the amount of power you can actually get from it is minuscule. It certainly will NOT charge a phone during a power outage. Now as an adult (and engineer), I'd actually measure the voltage and current with an LED across the phone line, if I had a phone line. Only fiber runs to my house :(
Styropyro : touches litteral plasma and laughs,
Electroboom : plugs a lamp and dies
then comes back to life after bleeping about 1600000 times!
Why he laughin so much? He off the za
electroboom: *uses tap to pay*
cashier: *explodes*
inside every man are two wolves:
That’s electricity for you!
Thank you, Truly...finally some useful information!!!
I find your way of explaining beyond informative and very intuitive.
I hope sometime you bring on some guests that are your idols and put together sensational projects...I'm sure there are some very bright minds you'd wish to meet and now you have a platform you could invite them to.
As a retired teacher I'm so impressed with this young man's love for teaching. Any school, college or university would benefit greatly from this enthusiastic and well learned Mr Science.
Sorry to put a pin in your bubble but I agree. He would benefit schools teaching. The pin part is that I believe Western schools are anti-human. The future is 1 on 1 tutors, 1 on 1 tutors would create much more jobs too. Although the future is UBI and not as much jobs, eventually people will just by cyborgs that learn from downloadable data.
@@earthenscienceYou think the government's gonna keep people around that don't do anything?
@@Noconstitutionfordemocrats1 Yes its called welfare. And the government is known for being lethargic themselves. And politicians are not the ones making decisions they are just bribed and told what to do.
Absolutely. You think the government is going to kill people who will be phased out of the workforce by automation, robotics and AI? Get real.@@Noconstitutionfordemocrats1
@@earthenscienceYou’re no older than 16
As an electronic tech of nearly 20 years working on everything from xray supplies to consumer devices tube and solid state I absolutely agree. Glad someone else understands its not an exact science to getting zapped, depends on many factors even down to your body hydration level how severe of a shock you will get. Most of the equipment I work on uses 450vdc + as its main rail voltage with over 10A available continuous. You work one handed, I was spared once as a younger/more dumb/careless individual and got away with burns and getting knocked the fuck out. I was working on a large linear tube transmitter and didn't discharge the rail. Be careful out there guys especially with those damn microwave transformers, like the man said they are no joke and everybody is playing with them and sometimes when you play stupid games.....you get stupid prizes.
' when you play stupid games.....you get stupid prizes.' 🤭🤭😆😆🤣🤣
Led me to think
Path to ground is a big deal too.
Yea there’s wayyy too many idiots playing with microwaves, and they don’t understand how scarily dangerous they are, and since they watched some UA-cam video on it, they think they’re fine to do it and then hilariously,
they do the “don’t do this at home, im a professional UA-camr”.
like styro is one of the only UA-camrs that I fully trust fucking with electricity, the rest scare the hell out of me
@@limitbreak2966 My microwave was arcing to the wave guide once... I could hear that classic bzzzz. It was a nice sound, but holy crap, scared the sh&t outta me. Replaced the wave guide, still sparking... Ended up bringing it to an electronics recycling centre and told them what was happening. As soon as I said "I wanted to take it apart but decided not to", the look of shock on the guys face alone was enough to tell me what I needed to know. He took some time to talk to me about microwaves and... Yeah they scary, glad he actually knew some stuff and didn't just chuck it in a pile.
Many years ago, in an electrical engineering firm my boss tried to argue with me that Voltage is the deadly component as opposed to current. I contested that it is a product of both, because a static electrical shock can generate thousands of volts without harm. Looks like we were both wrong - it's duration of the product, power, and frequency. Thank you for settling an old score 🙏
Honestly, you deserve a chair at a university. I have seen many professors who do not even have a shadow of the didactic gift as you, not to mention their equipment and their courage to experiment.
Definitely
Yeah
Most universities have free chairs. Just go sit at a bench or a desk
those who can't do, teach
@@teathesilkwing7616 ys, but possibly not free "chairs of physics".
I can never believe this man exists. Dude, every video is so insanely impressive. You must have the highest confidence possible and the extreme qualifications necessary to actually pursue these topics while being comfortable putting yourself at risk
I mean knowing stuff from high school physics isn’t that impressive
You need confidence for this and intelligence but not extreme education/qualifications.
@@sunnohh High school physics might teach you Ohm's law, but not everything else that pyro talked about in this vid..
pretty sure he's stated that he's completed at least one degree in past vids
@@inflatablewolfie at my physics lyceum we studied everything from this video. Including current lethatity charts
Good video. You put a LOT of work into this one. I get the "it's the current that kills" oversimplification a lot. It is, but it's also the voltage that pushes the current. The same people usually say things like "current takes the path of least resistance". Nope. It takes ALL paths of resistance.
It's kinda unfortunate that our classic 50/60Hz supplies are just perfect for causing sustained muscle contraction and oodles of pain.
Hey, it's job security. A lot of knuckleheads will try just about anything but they know well enough to stay away from the juice.
A phrase that stuck with me when I was a young apprentice was "Electricity takes all paths according to their resistance"
I'm glad to see you here Clive.
Yeah, these myths are perpetuated by people trying to dumb things down so that others/themselves can better understand it. Then since so many people are saying/teaching it as fact, they think it is.
More current takes the path of less resistance.
Is it unfortunate that 50/60hz stuff does what it does to us or is it inherently related to the fact that those frequencies were chosen to align with our eyes’ “framerate” or threshold to recognize movement? I have absolutely no qualifications but my intuition tells me it’s not much of a coincidence as nerves are heavily involved in both perspectives
17:35 of course he did that
"Your mother's capacitance is higher because she is physically large"
The savagery
Electricity in a nutshell is basically, "Yes, but no. It's complicated."
Why is it never a simple answer gahh
Plus basically the same when it comes to our nervous system.
@@isavedtheuniverse its too nervous to tell us the true reasons.
That's why I stick to mechanical things. I don't have enough brain cells to be a sparky
@@aniquinstark4347 I had to re-read your last name a couple of times before I realized it WASN'T 'Spark'. :facepalm:
Very informative and thought-out video, thank you for taking the effort of explaining all of this! It will definitely be a good reference about what electrical sources are hazardous. And thanks again for the shout-out :) Do you remember, when you measured 50 kV from the VTTC with a capacitive meter, how well did that relate with my technique of current times impedance? I'm glad that current measurements from a current transformer and from a thermocouple correlated well :) I might make a more detailed video about those techniques.
Glad to see you here, Vidduley
We need some collabs from you guys
As a professional electrologist with over 70 years of experience, I am obligated to point out that it's the amps that kill. Styro only survived because he is a djinn and/or hologram
A moment of respect for this man's health insurance provider
You mean life insurance provider
@@makiah_s LOL
@@makiah_s its really both depends if your swaping contracts on a day trading basis or are just generally bullish on styro making it past 65.
What insurance? 🤣
Bold of you to assume anyone's crazy enough to insure this brilliant madman
I love his "one way to find out~" as if death is just a toy.
Absolutely terrifying SSTC you have there! Loved your take on this constant debate.
Edit : VTTC!
VTTC
Glad to see you here, Jay.
My favorite content form, proving people wrong on the internet. I didn't even have to get to a minute in before you got a like and subscribe.
You might not be an electrician or engineer, but I am and you have a better handle on this than 95% of dudes I've worked with. Thanks for a cool video!
True! He's really deep into the matter and cares well what he's doing and saying. While a lot of other so called experts are just repaeting nonsense they have read or heard somewhere.
One example on how horribly wrong these things can go is this here: some time ago I've read an doctoral thesis of a so called "master of science" about how the old charge and energy limits of 50 µC and 350 mJ are bull shit as this is not realistic and would limit the amount of energy electrostatic machines and devices can hold to way too low valuesto be effective. It is true that IEC 60479-2 states that the low risk of ventricular fibrillation for a healthy adult starts at around 3-5 mC (c1 line). But this just a roof limit for the *immediate risk of death* and not a green card to all kinds of stupidities one can do with electricity below these limits. Also energy will increase with the same charge being delivered at higher and higher voltages causing a unique danger on its own with all its effects on it own.
As I've done quite a few experiments with electric pulses from various devices on my own body I can tell pretty much which kind of signal creates what kind of effects. I pointed out to the person in question that the electrical charge as a measure is right for stimulus strength from short pulses but that there are a few problems with the precise values given for *health danger*. Health danger is not only limited to *death from electrocution*. Even a strong muscle cramp causing damage to nerves and muscle tissue would be enough to set a limit way below 5 mC. In my experience one should never go over 10 -15 µC, if possible, as this gives you already a strong shock you won't repeat and gives you some pain in the ass for several hours in your arm. Also one has to consider the worst case scenario. Just throwing funny numbers and concepts all around the space withoput knwoing what they mean in a specific context means nothing. I am talking about large surface contact areas and shocks being strong enough to cause some kind of significant harm to health. Also one has to look at energy seperately for thermal, physical and chemical damage to the cells. Also it is about situations where one can expose themselves safely to voltages and body currents without the need to switch of the voltage. So if the stuff is too strong just take other measures in order to work without any contact to dangerous voltage. Also they have set the value for long term contact voltage to E < 50 V for low voltage which is not hazardous. This contrats other norms. But you don't need norms to know that you don't want to shock yourself with only 30 V (AC).
Now I wrote a lot about this and I could write een more but what is important is that always be sceptical about what others tell you, even your own teachers and masters and try to educate yourself as best as possible.
You typed my comment _for_ me. 👍Damn scary what I come across.
He has already proved you guys are full of shit. And you still throw around your ‘qualifications’. 😂
right
The AVERAGE “electrician” or more accurately “wireman” doesn’t have a clue about what was shown in this video!! 😂😂 No offense I am an Electrician myself- Everyday I learn MORE interesting things about Electricity ⚡️💪🏽💪🏽
If Styropyro says "I gotta get out of here" in a lightening storm, then I need to be more scared of lightening storms.
Cheers to that 😂
him scared of lightning also him, oh a tesla coil let me point this stick at it
Also what appears to be some sort of tornado on the far left
he was close to the lightning he could've got electrocuted, you probably view them from a distance
He was in a car, that's a Faraday cage.
you know, in some of my electrical safety training courses, i heard that the primary cause of death from an electrocution isn't actually from the heart stopping, but actually suffocation. Most deaths are from someone mistakenly grabbing a conductive object that is electrically hot and being unable to let go due to the muscles in the hand contracting. If the path of current through the body passes through your chest, your diaphragm also contracts and you cant breathe.
reminds me something an electrician friend of mine said that lower voltages fence wires sometimes are more dangerous because you might fall numb on them rather than that explosive feeling when they are higher
This is absolutely a very real hazard. You can't let go because the muscles in your hand are involuntarily contracting, and you can't cry out for help (or cry out for any other reason, like because of the immense pain) because, well, those muscles will also be busy involuntarily contracting. You can basically just observe yourself slowly dying in agony, unless the circuit gets broken somehow. Truly a horrible way to go.
@@radiantxpdd Respiratory paralysis in this context isn't something that just goes away when the current stops. It's not like being tased.
Right, but wrong. Respiratory failure (paralysis) is something that will kill you after the shock not during. Dependent on the situation (whether the source was grabbed or bumped into), different causes of death are subjected. For example, if you just bump into an electrical hazard then respiratory failure is the more likely culprit of the death. But if you grab the source (contracting your muscles and not being able to let go), then its more likely you die to heart failure or electrical burns. Also the respiratory failure won't have anything to do with the diaphragm contracting, but rather the lack of the diaphragm contracting. Keep in mind the human body can go several minutes without the lungs producing oxygen.
@@jaden2790 thank you for the comment. I wasn't told all the details obviously just relaying some info i had heard. I am surprised to learn that quick bumps are the ones to cause resp paralysis. intuition says that electricity causes a hand to contract, but you regain function as soon as the current stops, so likewise to the same muscle that controls the lungs. And i would think the quick bumps would be the ones that are more likely to cause heart failure due to throwing the heart out of sync with itself, vs a long "pause" where it can regain rhythm.
Thank you so much for clearing up this phenomenon with a very real world answer. It's obviously very complicated but you definitely helped to clear things up with this well informed video. Thanks!
I can only imagine Styro’s face when they released the research into manipulating lightning with lasers
Something tells me he'll be doing a video about that at some point. It does sound terrifyingly dangerous for a hobbyist though.
@@SocialDownclimber "terrifyingly dangerous" is probably the best explanation of styropyro out there
LAERs?
He has the laser on order already.
Lol thats a funny thought he must be exited
sign of a good engineer
does deadly stuff but still alive
epic pfp
same with that one guy who zaps himself as a joke all the time
@@yucky-yuckyMehdi from Electro boom 😎 👌
Hey buddy, I'm an engineer, that means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?" because that would fall in your personal conundrum of philosophy. I solve problems like, "Is it volts or amps that kill?"
@@yucky-yucky ElectroBOOM the goat 💯
Definitely the UA-camr I anticipate uploads from the most, not just because we all worry if you’ll ever upload again after each video but because your videos are so fucking entertaining!
ah i was gonna say that i didnt think it was possible, until i read the description, good for you for actually clarifying :)
Sometimes I feel like Styro just forgets he's filming a video and just wants to play with the sparkly-death-rays. This channel is educational and entertainment gold.
cap
@@EnderGameZ. bruh get outta here hater
@@EnderGameZ. not cap
Still thinking about the time that I, as an unintelligent 16 year old, trued to make a spot welder out of a microwave transformer. I had no idea what I was doing. But I wasn’t able to do it due to not having the proper tools to cut the transformer and put new wires in. Every time Styro mentions how dangerous those things are, I always think back to how poorly that could have gone for me.
Bro i did the same thing when I was 14 ish and i was trying to make an electromagnet 💀. Had no idea what I was doing. So glad we both came out alive.
oh god
It's the type of lesson you don't get to learn the hard way
Phew, you two got lucky.
@@ooooneeee Super lucky. It was also lucky that I was wearing rubber gloves because the microwave was greasy. I didn't know they can still hold a dangerous charge after being unplugged for days
I'm a EE but it's been so long since I've done anything remotely related to my education that I probably couldn't design my way out of a paper bag. However, this video brought back a lot of fond memories and reminded me why I wanted to become a EE in the first place. I wish resources like this existed 30+ years ago when I was in school. Great video!
Exactly the same here including being in school 30 years ago. I certainly don't trust myself to do the things he does here even if I thought I had all the math worked out.
You’re an Elegal Ealian? So what?
@@Make_Boxing_Great_Again electrical engineer
@@shiftyclouds9591 Emma Emmerich
@@Make_Boxing_Great_Again here I thought EE meant Eager Eagle 😂
I always don't understand most of it, but you make me laugh and smile, thank you
"And use these nightmare bricks to watch horrors happen in real time!" I always love the enthusiasm he puts behind rather morbid statements. Definitely one of my favorite people on the platform
u mean earth, not platform
That might be an issue
The best quote of the video
Lmao, that cracked me up! "Nightmare Bricks"
I'm so glad you made this video, for over 10 years I've been arguing with classmates and coworkers who say "one volt can kill you if the current is high enough." At my last job I had a 60 year old coworker tell me a car battery will kill you.
Bet he was shaking in his boots everytime he had to jump a car or replace the battery
Both things are true under the right circumstances. The answers aren't wrong, they're incomplete.
@@SteelJM1 To be fair, jumping a car can be dangerous. Touching the leads while someone is revving the engine would do some lethal damage.
Reminds me of a reddit post I saw about a year back where someone hooked a car battery up to his nut sack just to prove that it wasn't going to do anything because of our natural impedance.
@@ConManJonachan If it did nothing, then the battery had no charge because you would definitely feel that.
EDIT: From the reddit post in question: "The most painful thing was attaching the alligator clips from the power supply, but aside from that, I'd like to report a mild, and almost pleasant tingling sensation."
Oh hey, I was right! Shocking!
A nuanced take on the internet, backed up by experimental data--a miracle amidst the toxicity. Good work.
I like to think that the voltage is like a hydraulic press that pushes the electrons through space and that current indicates how much energy the electrons actually have. In that sense one can imagine that in some cases no mater how hard the press pushes the electrons might constantly bump into obstacles (impeding phenomenon) losing energy and damaging potential. In some other cases, the electrons might be pushed so hard but for a short period of time that they transfer little energy. Lethality depends on energy transference, if your body somehow absorbs just enough energy in the wrong places then you're dead.
"We can use these nightmare bricks to watch horrors happen in real time"
Absolute word
😂I was dying
Very well explained! I work in the electrical power industry, and like most, I’ve always been told “it’s not the volts it’s the amps.” My understanding was always that, yes, it is the physical flow of current through your body that causes the damage, but in order for significant current to flow, it depends on many factors such as voltage, frequency, impedance, dielectric breakdown, etc., just as you explained. Well done!
Nature doesn`t know anything about volts, amps and watts. We made those for convenience. Just like time and calendar.
@@masterofreality926 science is the way a human can understand natural processes tho
@@masterofreality926 That hits the nail on it's head! :)
@@masterofreality926 we made the names up, yes. But they describe very real things in nature
Dude, you remind me so much of my chemistry teacher who taught us how to make thermite as a reward for getting ahead in the lesson plan. You could make a phenomenal teacher if you wanted to and could change so many lives, inspire so many young people to do good work.
Man we need more teachers like him. He inspires us to find interest and love in what most people find boring and a chore (math and science I'm referring to of course).
Quite sure he's already inspiring many young people and being a phenomenal teacher. Not all teachers are found in a high school.
@@Walletau very true! I just think that the kind of kids that get lost, slipping through the cracks in the public school system, need more people like him. Either way, I'm glad he's educating people.
I'm fairly positive he's already taught as a professor before. I don't have the references to back my claim, but I'm 99% certain I've seen him post about it somewhere.
@@Drahkyn Didn't he do a PhD in chemistry? He probably taught as part of that.
Such an awesome response video! I LOVE it... So many "experts" out there.
“Total incident energy” is the term we use. Mostly pertaining to arc flash energy in Cal/cm^2 to determine the minimum level of thermal resistant body suit class and electrically insulating gloves to prevent shock. Had a lot to do with voltage but some to do with max current output and ground fault protection in place. All factors have to be considered
i like how he looks completely insane with how he is so happy listing off exactly how and why electricity can kill you
I love it 😂
That's how we know he knows his stuff: he's still alive.
There's no way he would find out all that knowledge via trial and error.
😁😁
😂you think that's good, you should see some of his older videos where the audio was slightly out of sync. between the async and the way he moves when he talks, he looked like a muppet, lol
He do be loving those electrons
Bro this guy is like that one kid in class who can absolutely beat you up but he won’t because he’s so nice
Not only could he absolutely destroy you in a fight, he also knows many ways to give himself a completely unfair advantage even though he does not need it (permanently blinding you with a laser, temporarily blinding you with something like flash powder, locking your muscles up with a mini Tesla coil and so many other fun and exciting advantages)
@@the_undead
He does indeed not need it, as he has years of experience grappling 😭
@@ivoryas1696 I don't know if he still is but he was a Jiu-Jitsu teacher at one point in time (I'm not 100% sure it was Jiu-Jitsu but I'm pretty sure) this man would be extremely scary in a fight
@@the_undead or one can simply put live wire nail under the foot.
im willing to bet you dont have a very good father figure in your life.
im 50 years old but only 1minute in to your video. And You are SO right about those 'EXPERTS' . How fortunate u are to be so young , & realise that
A great video. As an "expert" in the area I can add a few more refinements: the biggest risk for cardiac arrest is when the current changes polarity just at the right time in the heart's re-polarizing process, which messes up the timing and causes fibrillation. This "critical" period might be in the order of 5ms (I don't know this for sure, but it is short). Thus you can have for example 50Hz current for a short time, and nothing (much) happens just by chance as the zero crossing didn't happen at the right time or direction. The longer the current exists, the higher the probability of getting the zero crossing and polarity at the right (or should I say wrong?) timing. Frequencies in the zone of 20-500Hz have highest risk because frequencies are low enough for the cells to respond while still having a high enough rate of change at the zero crossing to mess up the heart's re-polarization. Unfortunately it just happens that our ac mains of 50Hz or 60Hz is smack bang in the middle of the dangerous region. But even medium voltage dc can be dangerous if you were unlucky enough to touch it just at the right time when your heart was re-polarizing, and you got the polarity right.
With respect to skin impedance: this does a great job of protecting us, but there are situations where the skin is bypassed, such as liquids, electrodes, large surface areas. For example, in a pool it has been demonstrated that a 6Vac circuit was enough to kill a child because it stopped them being able to swim. When the skin is bypassed, the body presents about 1kΩ impedance, so in that instance it would have been in the order of 6mA, which is enough to cause involuntary muscle action, although below the threshold for cardiac issues. Involuntary muscle action can also be dangerous e.g. if you are on top of a ladder, driving a car, performing surgery on a patient, which is why standards for electrical safety don't go anywhere near the cardiac threshold which is about 40mA.
If fact, standards for electrical equipment normally have limits in the order of 0.1mA under normal condition. Literature often suggests that the threshold of sensation is about 2mA, but this is not correct. For sensation, the correct parameter is current density (e.g. mA/cm²) as opposed to absolute current. If you spread 1mA over 1cm² you probably would not feel it. But with higher voltages, an arc can form just prior to contact, which concentrates the current into less than 1mm². Under that condition, 1mA is painful, an even currents as low as 0.05mA can be felt. So in that case, the open circuit voltage also affects the outcome, since it determines if an arc can occur allowing the current to be concentrated.
Wow, you really know your stuff when it comes to electrical safety! I think it's great to have experts like you around to help keep us all informed. I do have a different perspective on a few things though, if you don't mind me sharing.
Regarding the critical period for cardiac arrest, I agree that it is a very short time frame and the frequency of the current plays a huge role. However, I would argue that it's not just about the duration of the current and frequency, but also the individual's overall health and any pre-existing heart conditions. This can greatly affect their vulnerability to electrical shock and increase the likelihood of fibrillation.
Regarding skin impedance, I agree that it provides a great protective barrier, but you mentioned situations where it can be bypassed. I would add that the type of electrical current can also have an impact, even if the skin is not bypassed. For example, alternating current can be more dangerous than direct current because of the way it affects the muscles. This can lead to involuntary muscle movements, which can be particularly dangerous in certain situations such as driving, operating machinery, or even just walking.
Finally, I would argue that the threshold for electrical safety is not just about the absolute current, but also the duration of the exposure and the individual's overall health and susceptibility to electrical shock. These are all important factors that need to be taken into consideration when setting standards for electrical safety.
Overall, I appreciate your expertise and knowledge on this topic, and I think it's great that we can have a healthy debate about these important issues.
Nice, thanks for adding those details.
I seem to remember from all those repeated trainings we have to go through to retain our certification to work on powered electrical things that the vulnerable period of the heart is about 20ms out of the approximately 800ms for one cycle (assuming 75bpm heart rate). That as long as you turn of the current before the heart reaches this period it will keep on beating and so that is where the design of protective circuits like ground current fault detectors can have a huge impact on the probability that such protective device will save you. If its activation time is lets say few ms then the probability a current can hit your heart at the wrong moment is just a few %. Together with all the other protections like skin impedance and avoiding high enough voltage to even be touchable the overall risk can be dropped to very tiny number.
You also reminded me of the funny story we usually hear at those safety trainings: on a construction site a worker grabed the frame of an electrical cement mixer by one hand to steady himself while he removed his shoe with the other hand to shake a stone out of it. Another guy saw him doing this, grabbed a showel, ran up to him and broke his arm with the shovel handle. The reason was the guy just had the safety training where he was told "if you see someone holding onto an electical device and shaking weirdly use a non-conductive object to move them away from the electrical device". In the shaking of the shoe looked weird enough and in the panic to do it quickly he broke the arm that was holding the cement mixer. I don't know if this actually ever happened but it sounds plausible enough to me.
Being an expert as you state you are havn't you forgotten the influence that andrenalin causes. It is my believe that many people not used to getting an electric shock get so scared (and produce so much andrenalin) that this is really that what kill's them. Through years in my younger days I used to get at least one shock a day in average, dangerous ones included, but I didn't care too much as I was used to it.
From first responders to car accidents I have been told that some times they find people dead vurtually without a scratch and others smashed to bits but still alive. That points in the same conclusion of that it is the shock that is killing.
Also from hunting I know that you may kill a bird or an animal with absolutely no life thredning wounds but if it isn't killed at first it must be harmed so badly that it vurtually bleed to death. You can hit it with multiple bullets but it won't die for some time.
@@hebijirik Nice you can make me LOL even for a serious subject like this!
It's an interesting point, although I'd debate the role of health. There's a lot of factors involved and fortunately, most of the time, these factors are such that we just get a tingle, a bit of pain, a swear word and live to tell the story (which I have experienced many times being a designer of high voltage circuits). Some factors not mentioned yet include the path of the current through the body, the impedance of the return path, for example. But one in a hundred or one in a thousand the stars don't align and fibrillation occurs. When we have these rare events there is always the tendency to assign reasons such as the person's health or adrenalin, but really it is just raw luck, the timing, amplitude and polarity of the current is just right to mess up the heart's feedback loop. If you have ever tried to design a feedback loop, you will know they are tricky things especially when there are non-linear elements involved. So the idea that an external current, if nicely timed, can upset a previously stable feedback loop is not unreasonable.
Fibrillation by the way is not stopping the heart. It just goes into a higher frequency mode which is too fast to support normal circulation. The modern approach to defibrillation is to watch this higher frequency waveform, and decide just the right time to give a new pulse which can kick things back into normal, slower, rhythm. This newer approach requires less energy and is more successful than a high energy pulse delivered at a random timing.
I've always wanted a video like this. I had many of this questions while I was in university, I asked my physics teachers or teachers from electrical related subjects about "how dangerous" or "why does this doesn't kill me?" and they never gave me very good answers. It's okay if they didn't know, but they always gave me very simplified and wrong explanations. I know that asking questions regarding safety is hard because no one wants to say something that could get you killed, so I can't blame them too much. After watching this I don't think I would like to touch any tesla coil though haha
The problem is that when the answer is complicated, 90% of people will remember it wrong, so with safety-related things, they boil it down to something most people will remember. The amps vs. volts thing, for example, is so tradesmen know what to worry about when dealing with _common_ electrical sources.
Styropyro somehow does the dumbest crap while still making it entertaining and not dying while doing it
The line between a scientist and a mad scientist is very thin.
dumbest? wtf
He's not electroboom that's why
Factual
@@i-_-am-_-g1467 last time I checked ElectroBOOM was still alive. Has anything changed?
There’s a short answer and a long answer, but really, both can be correct. Let me explain with an analogy in the form of a question: Is it height, time of fall, acceleration, final velocity, or the impact that kills? All these variables are related; one depends on the other. The lethality of the final impact will depend on these variables (g, h -> t -> vf). But in the end, it’s the shock that kills you.
The same happens with electrical supply: the current in a circuit depends on the voltage and resistance. However, electric current conceptually is the electric charge flowing in a circuit per unit time (C/s), but voltage (EMF) and resistance are not electrical phenomena that "travel" around the circuit itself (even with dielectric breakdown due to high voltage effects or even considering the expansion of the electric field). So while it is true that lethality will depend like you say on voltage, resistance, current and even frequency (AC) or exposure time (very important) and the current itself depends on the voltage an resistance itself. In the end, what kills you is the current flow (the shock). In summary, that’s what we’re referring to. That is, it is not only about the magnitude of the current that kills but also the concept associated with the transfer of electrical charge per second around.
And second, the experiment with the capacitor makes no sense: the capacitive reactance is inversely proportional to the capacitance and frequency. Therefore, if the frequency is low (50Hz/60Hz) but the capacitance is high, the capacitive reactance is low, and of course the capacitor will allow high electric current. In any case, the capacitor does allow high current at time equal to ZERO, in AC or DC. It makes no sense to measure its electrical resistance (ohms) because that so-called "capacitive resistance" (capacitive reactance) varies with time (DC) and frequency (AC). The resistance you are measuring means nothing for a capacitor as such. What matters in this case is the reactance (Xc) or the impedance (R + iXc) or the electrical charge of the capacitor at a given moment in time.
Very well done. . . I actually learned a few things. I have understood for fifty odd years that the "skin effect" was what kept a Tesla coil from being deadly; the detail that high frequencies can be so high that our nervous systems simply can't react to them fast enough to cause trouble was quite fascinating.
A Tesla coil operates with a very high frequency and it's ability to deliver a large current is limited. However, as you say, higher frequency currents tend to favour the outside 'skin' of a conductor, but it's not about the nervous system not reacting. VandeGraph generators deliver a walloping static charge of up to 200,000 volts but the generator simply cannot deliver a large current. You can receive a decent shock from static electricity in a very dry climate, where the voltage can be up to 40,000 volts.
@@jasoncassidy492 so are you saying styropyro is wrong from 16:51 onwards? we'll be waiting for your debunking video
@@snooks5607 "so are you saying styropyro is wrong from 16:51 onwards?"
Yes; although misleading is a more accurate description. He has connected the current measurement to the primary of the tesla coil, not the secondary.
A better method is to use the breakdown voltage of air, typically 10 kilovolts per centimeter. Assuming a 1 meter spark, that's 100 times 10 thousand or a *million volts* . But what is the amps? The *Power* of a transformer does not change much. So if he had 100 watts going IN, then he will still have 100 watts (or less) going out. So a million volts times 0.0001 amps = 100 watts. That's 1/10th of a milliamp, at most.
If he is driving the tesla coil with a thousand watts, then he's got a milliamp current on the output. You'd get a shock, but it is relatively harmless.
@@thomasmaughan4798That's a quality answer you rarely get in discussions. Thank you for explaining it so well, spread the knowledge!
@@-sturmfalke- On further study of the phenomenon, the primary and secondary coils are resonant with capacitors (on the primary) and capacitance to ground (of the secondary) and as such a circulating current exists that exceed either the input or output currents. Measuring this circulating current says nothing about what you get out of the circuit. Tesla coils are "high Q" so if the Q is 100, the circulating currents could be as much as (or exactly) 100 times the actual output current. Interestingly, so is the voltage!
This phenomenon is used to advantage in a magnetic loop antenna.
You make the best chemistry/science videos, in fact I wouldn’t be watching nearly the amount of chemistry content creators that I do now if I hadn’t of found you. Much thanks for the unbelievably, witty, educational, and entertaining content I’ve every had the privilege of enjoying.
Thank you for making this video. You are far better at explaining this than I ever have been. I've been sending people to this video because you do a far better job. As well also having the ability along with being insane enough to actually prove the point with yourself.
Excellent video! I work in the UPS industry and deal with the hazards you are describing. You have done an amazing job of breaking down and explaining the different hazards of working with electrical circuits of different designs. It's not just one thing that can kill, all of the factors under certain conditions are important, especially time! Great job and keep up the good work!
Hence why this video is useless because it doesn't settle anything we didn't know already. Amps kill. Everything else is circumstantial.
@@levyroth You're doing it again, simplifying the matter.
@@levyroth Did you not see where he touches 40 amps and is fine? The whole point of the video is amperage wont kill unless certain voltage, frequency, impedance and time conditions are met, HOWEVER voltage ALSO wont kill unless certain amperage, frequency, impedance and time conditions are met. And x wont kill unless y and z are met. Hence EVERYTHING is circumstantial because its stupid to oversimplify (they ALL affect the likelihood of death), as shown in the video.
I like when I go into a video thinking I know the answer to something, and then realize "just because i know the answer, there was still something new to learn". Seriously, this is one of the best educational youtube channels that exists. Always happy to see you show up in my sub-feed.
I was raised by a "science hobbyist" and would call myself one. I have no formal training involving electricity (geology and chemistry) but have often said if electricity ends up killing me it will most likely be from the clouds. It made me smile hearing you say the same. All joking aside, I often tell people that messing with electricity is like hunting for mushrooms. Don't even try it, if you're not completely confident with your knowledge and willing to back it up with your life.
Well said
I think playing with low voltages is mostly fine. Unless you use large inductors, which can boost voltage to dangerous levels.
15:25 i love that he reuses the bit of writing math on an apple and throwing it out the window but in a context that makes no sense at all
No he didn't reuse it. And what he is doing there is just estimating the output voltage of his tesla coil. Why would that not make sense.
@@mh6276 i meant the joke, it makes no sense in this context to do the apple joke again
That lighting strike right outside the car window as you rolled it down was AWESOME!!
Great explanations.
I knew it wasn't as simple as amps and volts that kill, and of course the two are related.
But I had NO IDEA just how complicated it truly is. Nice job.
My life experience also demonstrates DC is a lot less dangerous than equivalent voltage AC. It hurts a lot less, too.
Whenever something seems simple 85 times out of a hundred it is very much not simple
@@flagmichael By simple logic - AC can travel further, so it can penetrate organs deeper as well
Dear friend ! Congratulations on a professionally flawless presentation! I am a 68-year-old electrical engineer from Hungary. Like you, I also experienced the Tesla coil, static high voltage. (I was 6 years old when I picked up my father's soldering iron for the first time... I think you can imagine the rest. I would like to share one "special" case with you. 10 years ago I measured a 15 Watt RF amplifier operating at 900 megahertz. By chance, when I reached for the For a BNC connector to connect the dummy load, I held it so that my fingertip touched the center pin of the connector. I felt a burning sensation and smelled of burnt leather. A small black dot formed on my finger, even though it only ran on a 12 volt battery. It was a miniature microwave oven. on those few millimeters. There is a Hungarian proverb: "A good priest learns until he dies". I wish you more success and good health!
That's awesome!
Thank you for sharing! Truly incredible I can learn of your experience from across the world, through a machine made and powered by the understanding of electricity. Such a pragmatic proverb as well. Best fortunes!
I like meeting other Hungarians in the wild on the internet :D
I will keep in mind what you said.
hungarian are best at math and coding/programming
Indeed! Both my sons became electrical engineers. (the older one has a degree in English, the younger one completed another 2-year Android course (USA online) and has been working successfully as a programmer for many years. I studied in the analog era, but I don't mind, because sound - studio technology and High-end my favorite. My job and my hobby are the same!@@moh6410
I actually remember my Physics teacher telling me pretty much what you explained here. I've wanted a video that explains this as you've done and you've done a fab job! Thank you!
This video made me feel like I know less about electricity than I thought I did, but made me learn more than I did. Good job and don't die.
my feelings exactly.
As an electrician, this video was absolutely amazing and educational.. Love all your videos
They don't teach that in class do they?
@@goku445 eletrician does not go to class. They go to apprenticeship program.
@Laughing In Canada we have to go to school for like 3 months a year as part of our apprenticeship for electrical( and most other skilled trades eith a ticket)
@@laughing7848 Here in Texas you have to complete a 3 year degree before you can become an apprentice, 4th year is during your apprenticeship.
@@claytonburnand4401 I wouldn't go to the hellhole that is a liberal canadian school if a gun was pointed at me from someone telling me to.