2006-10-20 08:13:47 · 39 answers · asked by Pit Bull 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Other - Education
The lines are not grounded to anything, so there is no path for the electricity to flow thru. We could stand on the wire and not get electrocuted. But if you would touch the wire and the ground or a building you would get electrocuted.
2006-10-20 08:15:49 · answer #1 · answered by momofmodi 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
They don't becuase there is no complete circuit with a PD ( Potential Difference / Voltage ) from one part of the bird to any other part of the bird.
As the bird has both feet on one cable it is perfectly safe even though that cable may be carrying 475Kv.
This 475,000 volt PD only exists between the other cables on the same pylon and the earth itself.
The reason why you would fry instantly is because you cannot perch on the cable without some means of support, which usually means contact with the pylon structure itself which is made of conductive steel and is firmly connected to earth.
So you would complete the circuit between the 475Kv line and the earth via the pylon and fry.
If you could arrange to perch on the cable without touching anything else, you would have no problem apart from a bit of corona discharge.
This is the same reason that you get a nasty shock if you come into contact with the Live wiring in your house. You complete the circuit from Live to Earth.
You can come into contact with Neutral without problems, unless whoever wired your mains supply etc. made mistakes, with no problem because the Neutral is often bonded ( connected ) to the Earth where the feed enters your house so the circuit is already complete. Please don't try it just to see in case there is a wiring problem.!!!
It's all a matter of NOT completeing a circuit or path from a voltage source and the earth.
The same effect happens with a torch that uses 2 batteries.
Remove one battery and it doesn't light at all because there is no complete circuit from the remaining battery through the switch and then the bulb back to the battery again. If you make a connection across the space where the missing battery should be, the torch will light because the circuit is now complete.
2006-10-20 09:02:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
They arent grounded, which mean they are not touching a point of earth in order to complete a circuit, see for electricity to electrocute something it need to be touching a ground point.
A person with both feet on or one foot on the live rail and one foot in the air will not be electrocuted but, if the person was touching earth(the ground) or a pole stuck in the groung the curerent would then run through the complete circuit thus causing an electric shock.
I DONT RECOMMENT THOUGH YOU GOING TO ANY RAILWAYS TO PROVE THIS THEORY.
ITS TRUE.
so the reason why birds dont get fried? because theyre feet werent touching the ground when they landed on the lines.
2006-10-20 08:34:03 · answer #3 · answered by Gary L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does not take much electricity to kill a person or a bird. Electricity needs several things to do this.
1) Enough voltage to push the electricity through the bird.
2) Enough electrical current to interfere with the heart.
3) A path for the electricity to follow. The path would have to include the heart.
The wire your Dad put up probably does not have enough voltage to push a fatal amount of electrical current through animals. Just enough to annoy them. The electrical current path would be from the wire to the ground the dog is standing on.
When a bird stands on the wire, there is no path for the electricity, since the bird is not touching the ground or any other different item. If you touched the wire, you would not like it since you are touching the ground.
Electricity is always dangerous, even if you think you have figured it out. Even adults who work with electricity as their job get hurt sometimes. So watch out if you ever think electricity might be present.
2006-10-20 08:16:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In order to be electrocuted, you need to have one part of your body touching the power line and another part touching the ground to earth you. Birds only touch the power line so they do not get electrocuted
2006-10-20 08:16:43 · answer #5 · answered by MC 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hey, i can SO answer this question!! YAY!
well, they're not grounded, so they not completing the circuit, just lyk, if u a human, u cud hang on an electric wire and not get electocuted as long as u didn't touch the ground or enithing connected in someway to the ground...oh ya, but i also heard (not sure if its true?!) that the brids do get electrocuted if they flying and each wing touches a different wire from each other! maybe coz den its da connector between the two electric lines?!
2006-10-20 08:41:40 · answer #6 · answered by KaTeY!! 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bird On Power Line
2016-12-18 06:55:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because the birds feet are the only things touching the wire, the wire is obviously not insulated because when we touch them we would get electrocuted, but birds actually DO complete the circuit (the power goes through their feet and out) it doesn't hurt the birds.
2006-10-20 08:17:56 · answer #8 · answered by Adrienne B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
U need to a connection to the ground in order to get electrocuted.
2006-10-20 08:16:20 · answer #9 · answered by Λиδѓεy™ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Electricity takes the path of least resistance. As long as the birds are not grounded, the electricity will flow through the less resistive wire than through the birds.
2006-10-20 08:22:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋