how can tesla coils kill you?

Question

except for it's high voltage

Answer 1

Well, one could drop on your head, but beyond that, they're pretty hard to kill someone with. They're more likely to burn you than shock you. That's because they're such feeble sources of current that any substantial conductive path, like your insides, just loads and detunes the coil and reduces its voltage range from deadly to annoying.

Generally the only way the thing can interact with your body and still remain running is to find a high-impedance path down the outside of your skin. This is the old 'shower of arcs' beloved of everyone who ever saw one of these fool things at the county fair.

It's useful to note that the Tesla coil is not a particularly useful device for doing anything but impressing people with. It was never meant to be: as a young man, Tesla used to lug the thing to county fairs and raise money for his research by giving exhibitions consisting mainly of his being covered with arcs and miraculously surviving.

Tesla coil outfits have been used for about a hundred years by bogus preachers claiming the protection of the Lord from the forces of Satan embodied in the arcs surrounding them.

Answer 2

In the game, don't know. Real ones, yes. They can kill because the power level in watts is more than sufficient in some. It is basically similar to the energy in a radio transmitter, though with higher voltage than usual. It is possible to cause severe internal tissue and organ damage with this heating. There is not likely to be a sensation of electric shock because of the relatively high frequency. It is also possible for the sparks to form an ionised path through the air for the primary (power line) voltage to pass to the high voltage secondary or elsewhere, potentially causing hazardous shocks. This is a type of insulation breakdown of the air that can be hazardous with even small units. These things are great for movie effects. Protective metal screens are used when making displays with the larger units - one example is chain mail, another is a metal cage, but you need to know what you are doing. A portable Tesla coil would be too small to be a reliable weapon. Think Taser, designed instead to deliver painful shocks through wires connected to the body with darts.

Answer 3

If you're thinking of Red Alert, it doesn't quite work like that. If you got between two coils, then yes, it probably would kill you. The amps across your heart would cause it to stop. If it's a lot of energy, your body would burn. If it's across your brain, you'll blow a fuse.

Answer 4

It appears that only one answer is logical and the other answers are based on no experience.

It won't kill you but it can mess you up a bit. It is fun to watch. This is high voltage, low current. It will make your hair standup.

Answer 5

Stops your heart, evaporates your fluids causing burning.

Answer 6

the energy could get too great and they might blow up. KAAABOOOM.
istead of VOOOUUIIPSZZZTTT. (red Alert)