Person A and Person B are touching. Person A touches a live wire. Electricity flows through them into Person B. It's enough electricity to kill. Is Person A in any way likely to survive if they current is just flowing through them into the other person? Does it matter if they're both laying on the ground wrestling with each other?
This entirely depends on where ground contact is being made between the the pair and the live wire. Best to think of electricity as an extreme case of laziness. It will always take the shortest path. If person A contacts the livewire, and any part of them is established as a least possible resistance point of ground (i.e. a tear in jeans or hand down with skin directly touching the ground) it will ground through them only, even if person B is touching. If Person B is the only one touching the ground with skin when they wrestle with person A, it will go through both of them. Damage depends on Amperage and how long the contact is made. If the electricity passes through both, it applies the same amperage to both, utilizing their bodies as active resistors which heat up with longer exposure.
Thank you, sir. Looks like I have some thinking to do. It's a kid's story, but even though it's for kids and mostly action and adventure I want to have something that seems plausible. The kid is fighting a creature and grabs hold of a live wire. The idea was the have the current go through the kid and into the monster, and kill the monster but not the kid. Sounds like that's unlikely
Unfortunately, that is technically impossible. They would be in series and have likewise amperage. If he jammed it into the monster this possible sort of, just watch out for arcing!
What if the kid's clothes were soaking? I've heard that that can make the difference in survival if hit by lightning, so maybe it could prove the differentiator in terms of survival.
Maybe worth considering the source of electricity. For example Alternative current, direct current - AC-DC. Three phase - which would usually be non domestic. The type of shock for instance flashover. Tolerance to electric shock as I believe tolerance increases with exposure. This is all that I have heard over the years as I have worked with electricians on site. They love to brag about the shocks!
may be the monster is incredibly sensitive to electricity - in the same way werewolves are to silver... in that case the kid good grab a 12v source and then grab the monster or something like that
Well, that's problematic. The monster would either be generally a conductor or an insulator. If it was more of an insulator, it would act like a resistor unable to handle the current and rapidly heat until degradation. If the boy was touching the cord and the monster for conductance, then the flow of electricity would be through the boy because of less resistance. Alternately, if the monster was conductive, the electricity would flow through it rather easily, and possibly not even damage it much at all. In the same holding scenario, the boy would be a greater resistor, and the monster a better conducting ground, causing greater degradation in the boy. What may be possible is if the construction of the monster is dependent in some way on electrical components. Power application in an overvoltage scenario would cause electronic circuit degradation first. I'm just spit-balling it though, mainly for my own amusement.
I've always heard that if someone is well insulated the charge can pass right through them with minimal damage, even leaving them unhurt. And it seems like I've heard that rubber soles can insulate them so the current won't try to ground through them, but will pass on to whatever they're touching, like a car maybe, if they're standing on a parking lot in rubber-soled shoes. What if—theoretical scenario—the kid jumps up on a huge truck tire that's laying on the ground and grabs the monster? A tire with no metal wheel in it? Could that insulate him sufficiently? If not, is there something that could, like for instance if he's wearing hip waders (and they're dry)? In other words, if you wanted to set up a scenario where the kid would be relatively unaffected by the current but it devastates the monster, how would you ideally do it?
If the monster is an insulator, then the electricity will go through the boy to the ground. Heck, if it's a good enough insulator then the electricity will arc through the air rather than go through it. No. You can insulate yourself sufficiently, then touch charged objects or electrical outlets and no electricity will flow because of the insulation. But it's the flow of electricity that's harmful, and you need that to harm the monster. I suggest watching the various experiments in this short video: . Note that in no experiment is the person touching the fence hurt less than anybody else.
sure but thats the scientific explanation - we're dealing with something that doesnt exist. so may be the monster has a delicate cellular structure that disintegrates when subject to even low voltage current... if the cord was 12v it could flow through the boy without causing him harm, but still kill the monster its amistake to get too scientific where science isnt needed - i mean why is silver deadly to werewolves ? Why do cybermen die as soon as they touch gold ? Why are vampires burnt by holy water or garlic ?
^ There ya go! How about a crossbow bolt with a 9v battery duct taped to it, 4 inches back from the point. The bolt goes in, creature doesn't even flinch, but the electricity causes him to melt into a puddle of goo or evaporate into a screaming cloud that drifts off harmlessly. Yeah, there's a reason it's called fantasy.
