Electric Shock
An Electric shock can occur upon contact of a human or
animal body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current
flow through the muscles or nerves.
The minimum detectable current in humans is thought to be
about 1 mA. The current may cause tissue damage or heart fibrillation if
it is sufficiently high.
Introduction
The level of voltage is not a direct guide to the level of
injury or danger of death, despite the common misconception that it is. A small shock from static electricity may contain thousands
of volts but has very little current behind it due to high internal resistance.
Physiological effects and damage are generally determined by
current and duration. Even a low voltage causing a current of extended duration
can be fatal.
It should be noted, however, that Ohm's Law directly correlates
voltage and current for a given resistance; thus, for a particular path through
the body under a particular set of conditions, a higher voltage will produce a
higher current flow.
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