birds like crow or pigeon doesn't gets a shock when sitting on electric wires. do they have some insulating thing on their legs?or d they ever get a shock?
2006-09-09 07:41:31 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
It's not earthed -- grounded -- so electricity can't pass through its body.
2006-09-09 07:42:42 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If a bird perches on a wire it becomes charged with the same voltage as the wire. However compared to copper wire its body is a poor conductor. There's no reason therefore electrons would detour through the bird because electrons flow from high voltage to low voltage. However if the bird makes contact with something grounded like a transformer at the end of the wire then it will complete a circuit with a ground of approximately 0 volts. The current will then flow and the unfortunate bird will cook!
2006-09-09 07:51:06 · answer #2 · answered by Andy S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they do not complete a circuit. Birds roost on 12 kV wires routinely. But they don't like to land on really high voltage wires, because the body capacitance can draw enough current at such voltages to cause a bit of a shock. You can understand this better by conducting an experiment. If you have a neon-lamp circuit tester (about $2 at most hardware stores), you can plug one probe into the hot side of an electrical outlet. There will be no glow. But if you then grasp the other probe in your hand (it won't hurt you) you will see a faint glow, caused by the line voltage charging your body capacitance.
2006-09-09 07:48:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a physics question and not a zoology question. When it sits on electric wire the voltage drop across the legs of the bird is zero so there is no voltage drop. So it does not die. If a man touches the wire without touching the ground he shall not die as well.
2006-09-10 19:55:11 · answer #4 · answered by Mein Hoon Na 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You wouldn't get shocked either if you were just hanging on to the wire. Go read about proper grounding and electricity.
2006-09-09 07:43:36 · answer #5 · answered by cannon1977 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the birds dont sit on bare wire, they sit on the insulation, the insulation is the black tube around the wire
2006-09-09 14:15:25 · answer #6 · answered by tomcat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are only in contact with one wire... with two points of contact... their legs... the potential difference between the two points is 0volts and so no current flows through the bird... hence they dont get a shock...
2006-09-13 06:01:12 · answer #7 · answered by Shane 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The circuit is not complete, so the current dosent pass. . You get shock when current passes through body. So bird dosent get shock.
2006-09-11 14:08:13 · answer #8 · answered by madhu p 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as long as you are only touching the one wire and nothing else you wont get shocked/ but you are touching the ground or another wire you could get shocked
2006-09-09 07:47:34 · answer #9 · answered by Shorty 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it will die if it touches phase and line (line and neutral) at the same time. I have seen dead birds hanging on power lines like that. (it happens when they land or take off). the birds also have insulation on their feet, like plastic jacket/coating on copper/aluminium wire.
2006-09-09 11:56:57 · answer #10 · answered by CSK 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because he has his feet on the positive side, If he puts one foot on the wire and one on the pole,or other ground, he will die.
2006-09-09 10:37:55 · answer #11 · answered by micandld 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋