Newspaper articles often have statements such as 10000 volts of electricity surged through the body what is wrong with this statement?

The statement in the newspaper article has a crucial issue. Instead of using volts as a unit for measuring electricity, the appropriate unit should be amperes (amps) or milliamps (mA) to indicate the electric current flowing through the body. It is the electric current, measured in amps, that determines the severity and effects on the human body rather than voltage alone.

Voltage, measured in volts, represents the electrical potential difference between two points in a circuit, creating the force that drives the current. However, the impact on the human body primarily depends on the current flowing through it. This is because electric current is what can cause damage to tissues, disrupt cellular functions, and potentially lead to electrical injuries or fatalities.

The higher the current passing through the body, the more significant the physiological effects. For instance, even relatively low voltages, such as those found in household outlets (around 120 volts), can deliver dangerous currents if the resistance of the body is low enough. Conversely, high voltages may not pose as much of a risk if the current is negligible due to high resistance.

Therefore, when discussing the effects of electricity on the human body, it is essential to use the correct unit of measurement, amps, which provides a more accurate representation of the potential harm or damage caused by electric shock.