Why does electricity from a stun gun go through the whole body instead of going staight from + to -?

Question

ps. what happens when you use a stun gun under water?

Answer 1

Good question, how stuff works shows the following:

"The basic idea of a stun gun is to disrupt this communication system. Stun guns generate a high-voltage, low-amperage electrical charge."

"The charge combines with the electrical signals from the attacker's brain. This is like running an outside current into a phone line: The original signal is mixed in with random noise, making it very difficult to decipher any messages. When these lines of communication go down, the attacker has a very hard time telling his muscles to move, and he may become confused and unbalanced. He is partially paralyzed, temporarily."

"The current may be generated with a pulse frequency that mimics the body's own electrical signals. In this case, the current will tell the attacker's muscles to do a great deal of work in a short amount of time. But the signal doesn't direct the work toward any particular movement. The work doesn't do anything but deplete the attacker's energy reserves, leaving him too weak to move (ideally). "

It sounds like some of the high voltage takes a path through the nerves to the brain. I'd expect that most of the current would pass directly from - to +, but some of it would follow the nerves.

Answer 2

Because your body is mostly made of water which conducts electricity. If you use the stun gun underwater, you'll shock things around you...

I think.

Answer 3

Aren't the positive and negative both on the gun? It probably wouldn't work in water, but if it did, you'd be burnt.

Answer 4

Very good explanation by Skeptic.

Answer 5

go to howstuffworks.com