Timeline for Does this AC to DC + breadboard setup have the ability to kill/severely hurt me?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
24 events
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| Jun 8, 2022 at 22:21 | comment | added | richard1941 | The CCP is ultimately responsible for the safety of your power supply. Do you trust them? If not, then, with the power supply plugged in and operating, measure the voltage between either of the power leads and a water faucet. If it is enough to shock you, be careful. Another danger sign is continuity between your black wire and one of the power cord pins. And even if there is no ground fault, remember that baby puts out 3 Amps, way more that what is required to kill you permanently dead and unable to pay taxes. | |
| Jun 8, 2022 at 22:06 | comment | added | richard1941 | It is the amps that kills you, ant three amps is more than enough to do it! In fact, it might actually cook you! Why are you using so much current for a little breadboard? However, if you eat only keto vegan cage-free carbon neutral non-GMO gluten-free organic food, you will not be electrocuted. An extra measure of safety, in case of ground fault, would be to power you device through a GFI outlet, just in case there is a ground fault and your bare feet are in a bucket of salt water. | |
| May 31, 2022 at 14:59 | comment | added | Peter M | @wizzwizz4 I heard a similar urban legend alooooong time ago, except it was with a (student?) doctor, a 9 volt battery and some saline soaked bandages on each wrist. But as pointed out, it's not the voltage, it's the current that will kill you, but dry skin is a very good insulator. | |
| May 30, 2022 at 23:15 | comment | added | rackandboneman | Also: If you are serious about running experiments, there is a reason for the existence of laboratory power supplies (they are affordable these days). Also: Wallwarts with a two-prong mains plug have a tendency to unexpectedly lightly shock you due to a commonly used EMI reduction circuit.... | |
| May 30, 2022 at 23:09 | comment | added | rackandboneman | Breadboard setups certainly do come with a higher risk of puncturing skin or at least making very positive skin contact (eg by touching a wire end that is unexpectedly sharp or hot), compared to just consumer use of such a wallwart. I would certainly avoid anything downright dodgy as a breadboarding supply. Better ones to look for: Anything that is legit graded medical or toy use. Secondhand original adapters that came with brand name equipment (eg original issue(!) phone chargers by Apple, Samsung, Motorola, or laptop supplies that came with a Dell, HP, Lenovo... laptop). | |
| May 30, 2022 at 21:44 | comment | added | ScottishTapWater | Lick it and find out | |
| May 30, 2022 at 19:13 | comment | added | llama | @wizzwizz4 brief googling tells me the resistance across the heart is about 50 ohms (odd coincidence) and less than 10 mA across the heart can kill, so yeah, that is another reason why stabbing yourself in the heart with probes at 12V would not be a great idea | |
| May 30, 2022 at 7:08 | comment | added | Jeroen3 | Ever stepped on one of these in the dark? | |
| May 29, 2022 at 20:59 | comment | added | wizzwizz4 | @TonyStewartEE75 There's an urban legend that somebody (an EE student) managed to kill themselves with a 9V DC multimeter, attempting to "measure their internal resistance" by sticking a probe into each thumb, which passed a voltage across their heart. I don't know what the lower bound for "can it kill you" is, but I know that 12V DC is above the "can it kill you" threshold if it gets inside your body. Do not stab yourself with live wires, no matter if it's a "safe" voltage or not. | |
| May 29, 2022 at 20:40 | comment | added | user57037 | It wouldn't hurt to buy a better adaptor from some reputable source. The fear of being sued in the US helps to keep everyone honest when it comes to safety markings. But assuming the adaptor is designed and built properly, there is little or no danger to you. It might be a good idea to just verify that there is no continuity between the AC side and the DC side using a simple multimeter. | |
| May 29, 2022 at 19:29 | comment | added | D.A.S. | @wizzwizz4 what is the threshold for fibrillation on the heart? Besides that's irrelevant. | |
| May 29, 2022 at 18:37 | comment | added | Mast | @wizzwizz4 Don't stick them into your heart. Don't stick them near your heart. For crying out loud, don't stick anything near a heart that doesn't belong there unless you're a trained surgeon. | |
| May 29, 2022 at 17:47 | comment | added | wizzwizz4 | @TonyStewartEE75 9 volts DC, passed through the heart, can be enough to kill you, if it induces fibrillation. (Over the outside of your skin, it's pretty safe.) | |
| May 29, 2022 at 13:38 | vote | accept | DonutGaz | ||
| May 29, 2022 at 9:46 | answer | added | Chris | timeline score: 6 | |
| May 29, 2022 at 9:00 | history | tweeted | twitter.com/StackElectronix/status/1530836365407043584 | ||
| May 29, 2022 at 7:42 | history | became hot network question | |||
| May 29, 2022 at 2:52 | comment | added | D.A.S. | I think stabbing yourself in the chest is more dangerous, you will feel a strong sting if you put on your tongue | |
| May 29, 2022 at 2:21 | answer | added | Harper - Reinstate Monica | timeline score: 37 | |
| May 28, 2022 at 23:49 | comment | added | DonutGaz | Thank you! I feel much safer being able to ask these questions. | |
| May 28, 2022 at 23:49 | comment | added | Hearth | 12 V isn't anywhere near enough to kill you unless you stab yourself in the chest with the electrodes or something. And even then I'd be more worried about the stab wound than the voltage. Anything lower than 30 V AC/42 V DC is generally considered safe. | |
| May 28, 2022 at 23:46 | answer | added | DKNguyen | timeline score: 10 | |
| S May 28, 2022 at 23:39 | review | First questions | |||
| May 28, 2022 at 23:53 | |||||
| S May 28, 2022 at 23:39 | history | asked | DonutGaz | CC BY-SA 4.0 |