Re: Power Lines

[Chuck Britton <britton@NCSSM.EDU>]

At 2:09 PM -0500 2/25/03, Bob Sciamanda wrote:

> | . . .
> | Now, just for the hell of it, with the lamp in your living room
> unplugged
> | from the wall, cut the wire off and scrape off the insulation
> | from one of the two leads at free end. Be careful that the bare end of
> | the other lead is covered with tape.  Now put the plug back into the
> wall
> | and touch only the
> | exposed lead with your right hand.... NO SHOCK!   Try touching that same
> | lead
> | with both hands at the same time..... NO SHOCK!   It's the same as
> trying
> | to light a 120V electric bulb with only one connection to the bulb.
> |
> | Are you willing to bet your life on the theory that you teach???
> | I am!
> |
> | Herb
>
> Careful trying this, Tina!  You must make sure that every point of your
> body is well insulated from ground!


Rubber soled shoes/boots USED to be quoted as being adequate
insulation for 120 VAC. BLACK rubber is often tinted by addition of
'carbon black'. My kids with black soles (on their shoes) were MUCH
more likely to a van de Graaff zap than the white soled kids.) Not
exactly 120VAC, but I would STILL not 'count' on dark rubber soles.