Is it safe to touch the secondary leads of a step up transformer?

Question

I did the math and it multiplies by 15 so if i use a 9volt battery it should be 145V i know you can touch high voltagee and all you'll get is a big jolt but.....i'm worried about the amperage..can someone tell me why or why not to touch the leads (wire)

Answer 1

Well, there are a number of answers saying that a transformer won't work with a battery, and one which states (correctly) that there will be no sustained output, but no one mentions that there will be a short pulse when the battery is connected and another (perhaps more powerful) when it is disconnected. Since these are short pulses the danger is limited, but I recommend avoiding contact with the secondary. I have been "bit' by an automobile ignition coil (a higher ratio than you have, but still a DC energized transformer) and survived, but I did not enjoy it at all.

Answer 2

Kenneth is correct. If you connect a battery to a transformer winding it will hum, heat up, and drain the battery. There will be no output voltage.

Transformer windings require an AC input.

Please get a little further along in your Basic Electricity course before you start hooking up wires. You are clearly not ready for a hands-on experience.

PS: 9 x 15 = 135, not 145. If you connected 15 of those 9 volt batteries in series it would produce about 120 volts after resistance losses. That would be enough to knock the sh!t out of you. If you need learning experiences of that kind, please go for it.

Answer 3

Like a lot of people have said, a DC input to a transformer produces no sustained voltage on the secondary. If an AC signal is input, an AC output will have a voltage based on the turns ratio of the transformer. The volt-amp rating can be used to determine the output current. The input frequency will match the output frequency. In order to seriously hurt yourself, the output voltage needs to be above 50 volts, the output current need to be above 15mA and the output frequency needs to be below 200,000hz. A 15kV output will not hurt you at a megahertz of if the current is 5 mA. It's the combination of the factors that determine how much of a shock you will get.

Answer 4

Enough people have mentioned the dc issue but to answer your question.

145v is sufficient to hurt and even kill you. It is actually current that kills you and only needs about 50mA. Your body has a certain resistance and the more voltage you apply, the more current that will flow (ohms law). Usually voltages below 50v are considered safe as they will not produce enough current to flow.

The cases where you can touch a high voltage and get a shock that doesn't kill you is where the current is insufficient or limited to low levels. There are also many stories of people getting shocks (myself included) and not dying. This is because it depends on the path the current takes through the body and the health of the individual. More people are killed from the explosions cause by electrical faults than are killed by electrocution.

Answer 5

Transformers do not work with DC batteries so you would be safe even if disappointed.

If you put AC into a transformer and got out 145 volts (isolated from ground by the transformer) you would be OK unless you touched both output leads.

Answer 6

Transformers only work with AC. Batteries are DC . All you will get if you connect it is a drained out battery in a few minutes. The secondary leads will have no voltage and no current.

Answer 7

you can't step up a battery voltage just by using a transformer, use an inverter but don't ground yourself, you might not have the time to disconnect yourself if jolted.

Answer 8

transformers really only work with AC voltage. DC voltage from a battery won't do much.

Answer 9

its not worth the risk dont touch any kind of "HOT" line use the big rubber gloves if you have to