General > General Technical Chat
If the electrical energy is outside the wires, how is insulation protecting us?
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typoknig:
This question stems from the Veritasium video (below) and Dave's analysis of that video (also below).  Both Derek (8:56 in his video) and Dave (5:17 in his video) say that the fields carry the energy.  I am not disputing this, but what I don't understand is why am I not getting shocked when I grab an insulated piece of Romex if all the energy is "outside" the wire?



andy3055:
You get a shock if you conduct electricity through your body, so to speak. The energy referred to in this case is magnetic energy and that does not shock you. This is the simplest explanation.
typoknig:

--- Quote from: andy3055 on April 01, 2022, 03:51:19 am ---You get a shock if you conduct electricity through your body, so to speak. The energy referred to in this case is magnetic energy and that does not shock you. This is the simplest explanation.

--- End quote ---

Are you saying that there is some "energy" other than the energy that Derek and Dave are referring to?  It seems to me that the videos are saying there is only one kind of "electrical energy", and that energy exists in the fields outside the wire, but your response makes it seem like that isn't true.  What is the other energy that is shocks us?  Does that energy "flow"?
andy3055:
I do not comment on other people's videos. The magnetic energy is the result of the electrical energy.
A simple example would be touching a hot plate. Would you get shocked? You will get burnt, if it is hot enough. The heat is a result of the electrical energy.
TimFox:
I agree with andy3055.  The electrical shock suffered by the victim is the result of electrical current flowing through the body.  A classic demonstration of electrostatics is to put an attractive female with long light-blonde hair on a carefully insulated platform and charge her with a Van de Graaff generator:  her hair will fly out from her head, but (unless something goes horribly wrong) she does not feel a shock.  (I saw this in high school almost 60 years ago, but it's probably not done in public schools anymore.)  There is a large body of safety literature about what affects this current for different conditions (e.g., skin moisture and electrical frequency).
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