Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Power Lines



I lived near power lines when I was a child and
I saw, several times, birds flying above the wires, maybe one feet above
them.
Suddenly, sometimes, they hit against the wires. No winds, just
an absence of control with a chaotic motion.

Arnulfo Castellanos-Moreno

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tina Fanetti" <FanettT@WITCC.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 10:01 AM
Subject: Power Lines


Today in class, we were talking about why birds standing on power lin=
es don't get electrocuted.

One of my students asked if he grabbed on to a power line would he ge=
t electrocuted.. yes, because the current would flow through the ches=
t and could stop his heart...

He then asked if he stood on the power line, like a bird, would he ge=
t electrictuted.

I was like what kind of an idiot would want to stand on a high pwer l=
ine....(okay maybe not so tactful)=20
But would you get electricuted?
I would think that if the current went foot-to-foot you would be okay=
, but who really wants to take that chance?

Thanks
Tina
PS I did search google....not finding anything useful yet...

Tina Fanetti
Physics Instructor
Western Iowa Technical Community College
4647 Stone Ave
Sioux City IA 51102
712-274-8733 ext 1429