Re: [Phys-l] Electrocution in Bathtub - Hollywood style

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@saintmarys.edu>]

I enjoyed Eating Raoul...didn't know anyone else knew about it.

I did find something in mythbusters, just a series of stills, but it  
seems they concluded that the person would live, and it seems like in  
the end they tried it with a real person after having done it with a  
dummy.  No details of what was grounded etc.

I find it hard to believe that a person would die, since the person  
is not touching the appliance and not touching the ground, even if  
the drain was metal.  Further, I suspect most of the conduction would  
be on the surface of the skin rather than though the body.  But as  
others have said, I'm not about to test my ideas.

cheers,

joe

Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556

On Oct 17, 2007, at 1:17 PM, John M Clement wrote:

> The most spectacular Hollywood killing by bath electrocution is in
> "Eating Raoul" where a whole hot tub full of cavorting people
> instantly keel over and die like little Barbies when an electrical
> appliance is tossed in.
>
> Modern homes have plastic pipes so the drain is probably not grounded,
> and the ground on the water pipes would not be very good.
>
> Also the GFI in the bathroom is a very effective preventive measure.
>
> Unfortunately I could not find a summary of the Mythbusters broadcast,
> but in view of the number of problematic things, it is unlikely that
> it would occurr.  However, I would not want to test it with a live
> subject.  There is a Golf course at Duke Univ. where people, er
> golfers, have been killed several times at the same hole.  I would
> rate that location as more dangerous than an electrical appliance
> falling into a tub.
>
> John M. Clement
> Houston, TX
>
> > Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
> > writes:
> > > I have seen this in at least three Hollywood movies; electrocuting
> > > someone in a bathtub or in a similar situation by throwing a
> > > powered-on
> > > electric appliance such a toaster in the water.  I don't believe  
> > > this
> > > would ordinarily electrocute the person in the bathtub; will it?
> >
> > Check out "MythBusters".  They tested this exact thing...
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