Is it really 600 amps? That seems rather high. I do know that the one time I shocked myself on a car battery, it rocked my world much more than getting shocked by a 110v outlet.

[–] MrPoopbutt@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

V = IR Assuming 12.6V 12.6 = I* 0.02 I = 630

So yeah, it could hit 600A, if only until it got hot enough to melt something or change the chemistry

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Well that explains why it hurt so much.

[–] helenslunch@feddit.nl 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

They say amps are what kills you. It's not true. You need a trifecta of current, Voltage and resistance. And usually it has to go through your heart, causing an arrithmea. Though I have seen people get their hands blown off on a 400V system.

Your body has a very high resistance. If your hands are sweaty and you place them directly on a couple of 12V terminals you might get a tingle (I've done this several times on accident on 24V bateries).

That's why I always laugh at the movie trope of people being tortured with battery cables.

But there's more. Electricity takes the path of least resistance so in this case it would probably bypass your body altogether.

But as soon as you connect this you'll get a giant spark (basically how welders work). If that doesn't perturb you and you somehow successfully connected this, it would get REALLY hot and burn you before it shocked you.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

It has been 20+ years since it happened, but I'm pretty sure I was standing in a little puddle, or my hands were wet (can't remember which), and my wrench just happened to bump the positive terminal and it was like "POW! Right in the brain!". Thankfully I didn't latch on or anything. It was instantaneous, and over in half a second, but it rocked my world for that half second or whatever it was.

[–] ghterve@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

My guess is you were burned more than shocked.

[–] OADINC@feddit.nl 1 points 9 months ago

Wait you can get shocked on a car battery??? I thought 12V was too low for you to feel.