What does electricity do to water to make it deadly???

Question

We all know that water becomes deadly when exposed to an electrical current, but why is this? What does electricity do to the water??

Answer 1

Most of the answers (with the exception of one) thus far are incorrect. Water does NOT conduct electricity. In fact, pure water is actually an insulator against electricity. There are two situations where water and electricity make a potentially deadly mix:

1) non-pure water. This is the situation of electronic appliances and a bath tub. The salts and oils from human skin CAN conduct electricity when suspended in water. The appliance falls in the water and shorts out, which causes the electricity to conduct through the water (and any people therein).

2) Pure water (large, clean pool... large clean lake/river). In this situation the water does NOT act as a conductor. HOWEVER, lightening strikes through the path of least resistance. on a large reasonably flat surface the path of least resistance is the highest point. Well, water is a large flat surface, and when you have your head above water to breath you are automatically the highest point (hence, the de facto lightening rod).

Answer 2

Electricity doesn't do anything to the water per say. Pure water (no ions) will not conduct electricity. It's the addition of metallic ions (e.g. sodium, calcium, fluoride etc.) that allows water to conduct electricity. Ionized water doesn't increase the amount of electricity, it merely transfers it extremely well. Under the circumstances where you could be exposed to electrical current in water (in a shower or bath, while swimming in a lake during an electrical storm) it is very hard to get out of the water, especially once your muscle have become incapacitated due to the shock. This is what makes water with electricity flowing through it so dangerous.

Answer 3

Electricity does nothing to water whatsoever to make it deadly. It's all the salts and minerals in the water that conduct the electricity at the speed of light. It's as bad as sticking a fork in a live outlet.

Electricity doesn't move through perfectly distilled water because there isn't any stuff in it that conducts electricity.

Answer 4

Water and electricity can be deadly for the same reason a wire and electricity can be deadly. Being a conductor it can
be a source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current flow through the muscles or nerves to kill you.

Answer 5

The water is not what is deadly, and the electricity doesn't really change it (at least in any way that makes the water deadly). What happens is that water conducts the electricity and the electricity is what kills.

Answer 6

Promethius got it exactly right. Water is an insulator, not a conductor. My only additive comment is that the reason "WE ALL KNOW" water & electricity are dangerous is that historically water has always come to us through metal pipes and fixtures, which are fantastic conductors AND are thoroughly buried in the ground so that touching any of the aforesaid metal efficiently grounds the person who is touching it and opens the possibility of getting shocked from a wire that has a potential relative to ground. ("hot" wire)

Answer 7

No, till this is frozen! If liquid, my legs might could be 3m long with a persevering with circulate sectional equivalent to the element of the only of my foot for my bodyweight to be balanced. yet it is hardly walking "on" water is it. If the liquid replaced into mercury then my legs might sink 0.5 m As for snowboarding (without ski) the foot is shifting relative to the water which creates a tension like a jet of water does on a flat plate. while velocity is severe sufficient, tension balances bodyweight. quit and you sink. what's a "regulation of maya"?

Answer 8

It acts as a conductor, that's all.

Answer 9

I don't know any such thing so count me out of your 'all' thank you.