If birds can't get electrocuted on live wires in the air does that mean humans can't either if on a live wire?

Answer 1

There are several reasons why birds don't get electrocuted.

1) their legs don't conduct electricity as well as humans.

2) the voltage coming through the wire depends on how far along the wire you are. By touching two points on a single wire, you create a path for the difference in voltage to flow along, zapping you. This doesn't happen in birds because their two legs are so close together that the difference is not enough to hurt them. If you could hang by one hand on a wire, you shouldn't get electrocuted

3) Of course, if a human is touching any other object and the wire at the same time, the human will serve as a pathway for electricity to flow from the wire to the other object (like a tree, a ladder, the ground, etc), which would most likely electrocute them (unless they were very well insulated). Birds typically are ONLY touching the wire, so this isn't a problem for them either.

Answer 2

Yes that is true. BUT if a person is hanging from a live wire and touches the ground, he/she will get electrocuted. This is because the 'circuit' is complete for the elctricity / current to run through. The same will happen to birds.

Answer 3

Birds seldom get electrocuted on power lines. As they use only use their two feet for support, they can safely land on a single wire, without short-circuiting the power, and hence, they do not get "zapped".

Of course, in the case of bats, their front feet act as wings. But they really are shaped like hands, with long fingers.

But their "arms and fingers" (wings) are so extremely long, they easily can cross between different cables, and cause a short-circuit. Zap.

However, possums being four-footed creatures, tend to hold on with their back feet and reach out with their front feet simultaneously, and in so doing, tend to cross between different wires, and get themselves electrocuted. Smart possums learn to run along single wires, and they can do that quite safely.

Power-line workers know how to avoid electrocution. They can safely work on a single live power-line, as long as they are not earthed (in contact with the ground) or are not touching two different power lines. That is why they rely upon totally insulated frames, on the end of those "Cherry-pickers" on the back of special trucks, or else they work from fibre-glass ladders.

Answer 4

The reason they don't get electrocuted is because they aren't earthered, and they only touch one wire. Birds and humans would get electrocuted if they touched two wires or were earthed

Answer 5

If you were hangin from the wire like a bird. i.e. not touching ground or another wire or wall etc. Then no u would not because there is nowhere for the current to flow

Answer 6

the Resistance of the body is so much greater than the normal passage of a single conductor that only a tiny proportion of current will flow through any form of living thing. the air Resistance will be to great to make a second connection depending on the distance and voltage applied

Answer 7

Birds sit on insulated wires. Larger birds on high tension wires get smoked frequently when they ground out.

Answer 8

both of their legs are holding on to the same wire. If they were to step on two wires they would act as a condute and get electrocuted

Answer 9

As long as you and the cable are off the ground and not near another cable your safe. To get electrocuted you need to complete the circuit.

Answer 10

humans are slightly larger than birds and very high voltage electricity can jump to earth or another conducter.. it is possible for any creature that is insulated, not being earthed or across two phases of a different colour, to hold onto a live conductor