Angry Wife Booby-traps Husband's Powertool

[okibrian]

Well, I'll just have to tamper with her vibrator.

 

[skyu]

If I will ever have a wife,she will never dare to do that .

 

[mitch074]

If the power tool was properly grounded, it would have triggered the circuit breakers; if it wasn't, due to its own huge power draw, it would have soon blown a fuse on the increased load.

Moreover, if her husband had started using high-powered electric tools without properly protecting himself (insulated soles at a minimum), then he'd have been candidate to a Darwin Award.

Short circuits happen even without angry wives.

 

[martel80]

[citation][nom]mitch074[/nom]If the power tool was properly grounded, it would have triggered the circuit breakers; if it wasn't, due to its own huge power draw, it would have soon blown a fuse on the increased load.[/citation]A human body is a laughable load (1k Ohm and up), the resistance is too high to cause any real current.
But there are also circuit breakers which compare the outgoing current (on the phase wire) to the incoming one (on the ground wire) and if there is a mismatch (meaning a portion of the current dissipates through some other path, an electrocuted human and a floor, in this case), they break the circuit.

 

[cynewulf]

[citation][nom]skyu[/nom]If I will ever have a wife,she will never dare to do that .[/citation]
What a strange comment. Have you already resolved to keep your future wife in a constant state of fear so that she never considers retribution?

 

[blackbeastofaaaaagh]

Actually, it only takes about 25V AC (~ 60Hz), applied to the hand, to kill someone if the conditions are just right (or rather just wrong). Even such a low level can cause the hand to involuntarily grip a current source. Human skin initially has a pretty high electrical resistance but as current starts flowing across it its dielectric properties rapidly start to degrade till it offers little resistance to current.

If I remember correctly, it only takes 0.010 Amps (AC) across the heart to make it stop pumping.

When I took Electrical Energy Conversion (motors, transformers, generators) in engineering, this stuff was the first thing taught. The professor clearly warned that while you guys may horse around in electronics lab (where voltages rarely exceeded 12) you'd better check and double check all your work when your dealing with motors and generators running 3 phase 240V.

 

[g00ey]

[citation][nom]one-shot[/nom]It was actually 240V. In the US, 240V 2 Phase power is supplied to residential dwellings. 240V/2 = 120V just like in most outlets in the house. I'm not sure where the common misconception of 220V comes from. A quick shock of 240V shouldn't kill anyone and charging that person for attempted murder for a little 240V zap is ridiculous. I've been zapped by both and while 120V is a minor inconvenience, 240V isn't worse. If she put water on the floor under the saw I could understand it. On the other hand, that must have been one heck of a table saw to use 240V. She got what she deserved. Electricity can be very dangerous.[/citation]

No you're wrong. 240V is considered as a lethal voltage and you can get a fatal chock at considerably less voltages. See "Electric Shock" on Wikipedia if you don't believe me.

 

[hawkwindeb]

[citation][nom]one-shot[/nom]A quick shock of 240V shouldn't kill anyone and charging that person for attempted murder for a little 240V zap is ridiculous. I've been zapped by both and while 120V is a minor inconvenience, 240V isn't worse. If she put water on the floor under the saw I could understand it.[/citation]
Water or no water she would have to had known that he would be jerked away and not stuck to the device cause if stuck could easily caused death and the article does not state she had previous knowledge of the future. (ie: she was lucky he didn't die) Prudent Man rules - so does an avg Prudent Man believe that what she did might kill a man, if so, then the charge should have been Attempted Murder since it did not kill him.

 

[JonnyDough]

[citation][nom]supertrek32[/nom]Actually, 240V can be just as deadly as 4000V, especially when it's coming from an unlimited source. Infact working with household-electricty is much more dangerous than high-voltage lines, since a high-voltage line will typically throw you off whereas lesser voltages will only make you seize up. What if the man's hand hand seized and he couldn't let go? Even leaving that possibility out, it could still kill you on contact - it's just your luck and how the electricity travels through your body.For example you might be left handed and for whatever reason your right hand is resting on a metal table, making it the path of least resistance compared to your rubber-soled tennis shoes. The electricity would cross directly over your heart. Even at 240V this can kill you. Will it? How lucky you feeling?[/citation]

High voltage can split a person in half though. If you touch a high voltage wire and your elbow is grounded you will lose your arm. It will essentially split it right open from finger to elbow. I know a guy who lost his arm this way.

 

[JonnyDough]

[citation][nom]okibrian[/nom]Well, I'll just have to tamper with her vibrator.[/citation]

If your wife has a vibrator rather than the two of you owning a vibrator, then I think you might want to think about getting one of those supplements off of an infomercial...