this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2026
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Science Memes

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[โ€“] krisevol@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Because amps is the results of volts and resistance. It's the volts that kill you, amps are just the result.

[โ€“] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

That is very educational, more than I was hoping for. Thank you!

I've heard that saying over and over throughout my life, too, (by laymen, never actual electricians lol) and I was always confused by it.

I was always trying to think "Okay is there some crazy high-voltage-low-amperage shock source you can sustain and be fine?" I guess I thought the difference was between something like, a taser vs. a home electrical socket.

Is the survivability of shocks mainly in how much resistance there is in the body? Like if the volts get backlogged enough they become amps -> generate heat -> "fry" what they're passing through?

I really need to revisit electrical education. Especially because I wanna make neat gadgets...๐Ÿ˜…

But yeah it sounds like the saying is pedantic, like "It's not the fall that kills you. It's the impact."

Something obvious to utter in a way that makes you sound deep and profound to dumb people. LOL