Cooked by Xbox

Electricity and Magnetism Level 1

AC-1: imperceptible
AC-2: pain, but no muscle contraction
AC-3: pain with muscle contraction
AC-4: possible irreversible effects
AC-4.1: up to 5% probability of ventricular fibrillation
AC-4.2: 5-50% probability of fibrillation
AC-4.3: over 50% probability of fibrillation

The table above shows the corresponding physiologic effects when a person is electrocuted by an alternating current according to the time duration of the shock and the magnitude of current that flows through his/her body. The resistance of a human body (when the skin is dry) when shocked by 110 Volts is known to be about 2,000 Ohms. What will happen when Bryan gets electrocuted for 0.5 seconds while plugging his Xbox into a 110-Volt outlet?

Details and Assumptions

  • Ventricular fibrillation is a type of heart attack.
The table was copied from Wikipedia .
He will feel nothing. He will feel pain and have muscle contraction. He could have ventricular fibrillation with a 5% probability. He will feel pain but will have no muscle responses.

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Aditya Virani by Aditya Virani

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3 solutions

Roger Erisman
Jan 22, 2016

I = V /R = 110/2000 = .055 Amp = 55 mA

0.5 sec = 500 ms

Intersection of these values is in area A3 so muscle contraction.

15 Helpful 3 Interesting 1 Brilliant 0 Confused

Electrocution means death. If he was shocked that he would feel some pain. If he was electrocuted he might feel pain momentarily but then would cease to live. Check Merriam-Webster Dictionary for the meaning of electrocution.

Joe Robin - 2 years, 12 months ago

Can you describe the variables

King G Team Ender Dragon - 2 years ago
Seth Renville
Oct 9, 2017

The only reason I know this is I have been electrocuted by a 110 volt outlet.

4 Helpful 2 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

Ventricular fibrillation may result in myocardial infarction (heart attack). But it is a type of cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is malfunctioning of electrical system of heart (AV node mainly), but heart attack is a circulatory problem and occurs due to blockage of blood flow in coronary arteries. I recently did a project on Cardiac Arrest vs Heart Attack as I observed people use the terms interchangeably though they are different. So I could not stop myself from pointing this fact out! BTW, the question was good.

0 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

The question should read 0.5 sec of electric shock. The word electrocute means die from electric shock. Because of the way the question is worded it is given in the problem statement that Bryan dies.

Blaine Sundwall - 3 years, 11 months ago

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