OK weird question, how come you can't touch a power line but it does not spark when it rains?

Question

I was enjoying the storm today, but was wondering why it dose not spark when it gets wet.
Silly question i know but i would like to know.

Oh i see now. I should have known that. Thank you all so much.

Answer 1

In order to spark, you need a continuous path to the ground. Rain is composed of many small droplets, so it does not offer a continuous path to the ground. Air is a very poor conductor of electricity.

However, if you're touching a live electrical wire while standing on a metal ladder that's resting on the ground, you have a more-or-less continuous path (though rubber shoes will offer some resistance), and you're probably gonna get fried.

Answer 2

Like others have said, you need to be making contact with the ground to get shocked/ make a spark. You could hang on from power lines and not get electrocuted. Like some else said, that is why u see birds on lines all the time.

Answer 3

Why can birds sit on a power line? Something like if you stand on a ground and grab a power line, the electricity will flow thought your body to the ground; if you grab a power line while wearing rubber soled-shoes, it won't be conducted and you won't feel a pinch (do not attempt please).
Same with rain droplets - each of them touches the power line individualy and does not connect it to the ground, to the other power line or to any other object.

Answer 4

Hi Trish, dear. Yeah, strange isn't it? You see, dear, the power lines on the power poles are far above the ground line which is buried underground through your water pipe. When you look up at the power lines at the pole you can see the lines are far apart too. When it is split off, the lines are heavily insulated so no moisture can enter the lines. When the power lines come into your house, the required ground was already planted under your house when they first built the house for the the electricity to be useable, dear. Good enough, yes?

Answer 5

In electricity for D.C supply you need positive supply at one end and negative supply at the other end to do its function.The same way for A.C Supply you need phase at one end and neutral or earth at the other end to operate or work with any cadges. About a year back a boy from railway bridge urinated on over head line and he was electrocuted and died. In case of rain if the water particles makes the connection with earth terminal it will spark. But as long as it is not connected with earth it will not have any effect.

Answer 6

Each wire is at its own voltage. If you only touch one it wont kill you. If you touch a second one you will die.

It does not short out when it rains because the water is not dense and dirty enough to bridge an arch from one wire to another.

Note; Pure water does not conduct electricity. Water with salt, iodine, chlorine, etc does.

Answer 7

Hi. It would if the water also touched a ground source.

Answer 8

The powerline isn't grounded.