Shocking Theory

[AlWired]

From time to time I've wondered how a child gets shocked by inserting a hairpin or similar device into a wall outlet. I've never gotten an answer that satisfies me. The reason is that the hairpin is inserted with one hand which would make me think the current would have to flow through the child's body and out of his foot to reach ground. It seems that there would be enough insulation between foot and earth to prevent a serious shock.

My latest thought is that maybe the current arcs from the hairpin over to the grounded terminal of the receptacle. That would explain burns on hand.

Any thoughts?

 

[480sparky]

Standing barefoot or kneeling on bare knees on a concrete floor?

 

[augie47]

go for it

go for it

rather than speculate, grab yourslef a hairpin and make the "theory" a "practice"...shouldn't take long to substanuiate.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I believe the problem is also from both ends of the pin being inserted into the outlet. This does not explain why the tamper resistant recep. are being introduced in 2008. It also , IMO will not prevent this from happening.

 

[infinity]

My guess is that this was much more prevalent when cover plates were made of metal. The insertion of a hair pin in the hot side of the receptacle would almost guarantee that there was also contact made with the hand and the grounded metal plate. I remember getting shocked as a kid and i was sitting on a non-grounded carpet over wood floor. Back then almost all cover plates were metal.

 

[kspifldorf]

The first time I dropped a penny in an empty light socket, I was amazed. That's probably why I wanted to tame this wild beast.:grin:

 

[crossman]

From time to time I've wondered how a child gets shocked by inserting a hairpin or similar device into a wall outlet. I've never gotten an answer that satisfies me. The reason is that the hairpin is inserted with one hand which would make me think the current would have to flow through the child's body and out of his foot to reach ground. It seems that there would be enough insulation between foot and earth to prevent a serious shock.

My latest thought is that maybe the current arcs from the hairpin over to the grounded terminal of the receptacle. That would explain burns on hand.

I wonder the same thing. I guess it all depends on the type of flooring and the construction of the home. Considering contact with the hot slot of a receptacle, and no contact to any other part of the receptacle including a metal faceplate:

With pier and beam, the floor is all wood beams and wood sheathing, with whatever covering on top, carpet, more wood, linoleum, it seems that this would make a pretty good insulator, so a shock from the hot seems highly unlikely.

For a concrete slab, I'd say a barefoot kid with a pointy object stuck in the hot would definitely be shocked.

Wood flooring or carpet over concrete - I doubt there would be a shock.

Ceramic tile over concrete - good question, but I would assume a shock.

Now, when I was around 5 yrs old, we lived in a house with concrete slab and wood flooring. I remember taking a bobby pin and inserting it into the receptacle, this was both prongs, one in the hot, one in the neutral. I didn't get shocked, but I did get a nasty whelp on the finger and thumb from the bobby pin heating up really quickly. Of course the associated sparks and smoke came out of the receptacle, which did no harm but definitely added to the fright factor.

 

[480sparky]

Now, when I was around 5 yrs old, we lived in a house with concrete slab and wood flooring. I remember taking a bobby pin and inserting it into the receptacle, this was both prongs, one in the hot, one in the neutral. I didn't get shocked, but I did get a nasty whelp on the finger and thumb from the bobby pin heating up really quickly. Of course the associated sparks and smoke came out of the receptacle, which did no harm but definitely added to the fright factor.

You're not the only one who fooled around with receptacles as a kid.

I remember pulling a cord out slightly so I could drop a paper clip across the blades 'just to see what would happen'. Dad wasn't too happy..

 

[electricalperson]

i stuck my finger in an empty space in the old fuse panel when i was about 6 years old. ever since then i wanted to be an electrician :grin:

 

[electricman2]

When I was in the 5th grade, a buddy of mine brought a socket and cord from an old lamp to school. When the teacher wasn't looking we plugged it in a receptacle at the back of the room. Fire and smoke flew and out went the lights in that part of the building. The principal was not impressed with our experiment and as a result we spent a couple of hours after school raking the gravel parking lot.

 

[mdshunk]

When I was in the 5th grade, a buddy of mine brought a socket and cord from an old lamp to school. When the teacher wasn't looking we plugged it in a receptacle at the back of the room. Fire and smoke flew and out went the lights in that part of the building. The principal was not impressed with our experiment and as a result we spent a couple of hours after school raking the gravel parking lot.

I used to get out of typing class by forming a paper clip into a "U" shape and gently laying it in the floor receptacle under my typing desk. I'd pop it in the whole way with my foot, and the breaker would trip. That generally shot the rest of the class by the time the custodian was summoned and the breaker was reset.

 

[charlie b]

The reason is that the hairpin is inserted with one hand which would make me think the current would have to flow through the child's body and out of his foot to reach ground. It seems that there would be enough insulation between foot and earth to prevent a serious shock.

It doesn't take much current to cause a serious shock, and not much more to be fatal. A total resistance (through the child's body, the floor, the dirt, the connection to the ground rod, and the GEC) of 10,000 ohms would not be enough to prevent a serious shock.

 

[Rewire]

12 ma and you can't let go