If I connect two ends of the same battery together with a metal wire, will current flow through it?

Question

I am trying to make a low voltage shocker and want to know if this would work. And would it work with a long length of wire or no? Thanks

Answer 1

As other people have already said, if you connect the ends of a battery together with a wire, you will just cause a short circuit. If it's a small battery, like an AA battery, you will just drain the battery. But a larger battery (like a 6 volt lantern battery or 12 volt rechargeable battery) may cause violent sparking and will instantly heat and melt the wire.

Also, in order to get an electric shock, the voltage has to be high enough to overcome the resistance of the body. As long your hands are dry, you could grab jumper cables of a car battery and it wouldn't do anything to you because the voltage is simply too low. But if anything happens to lower the resistance (like if your hands are wet), or if the voltage is higher, an electric current can cause a shock and can be dangerous. Under certain circumstances, 120 volts can kill.

Do NOT use the camera flash prank someone else suggested earlier! A camera flash uses a capacitor that can hold a high voltage (and high energy) charge that can be extremely dangerous! As anyone will tell you, you don't play around with capacitors.

One "shock" device that might work and should be safe is if you run a small transformer backwards. Get a 12 volt step-down transformer (like a doorbell transformer). You'll run it backwards to step voltage up. Connect it to a 9 volt battery, but on one of the wires, add a switch. A transformer can't work with straight DC, the current has to be pulsating or alternating. (Look up "induction" on Wikipedia.) That's why transformers are only made to work on AC. But if you pulse the DC it will work. So each time you break the circuit with a switch, the transformer will give give a high voltage pulse on the other winding (across the other wires). This should generate about 100 volts, but the current will be very low. It'll sting a bit, enough to make them jump...and get REALLY mad at you. But that's about it.

By the way...I don't recommend or advocate shocking anybody. But if you are going to do a prank like this, at least make it safe.

Answer 2

There is no such thing as a "low voltage shocker."

Putting a wire across a battery will short it and drain all its power. That might cause the wire to get warm if it is a small battery. That might cause the wire to get red hot and set its insulation (and your house) on fire if it is a larger battery.

It will not work and the wire length has nothing to do with why.

Answer 3

I think everyone here is saying the same thing. A battery and a wire is not a shocker (perhaps a burner with a big enough battery). You need high voltage to overcome skin resistance.

One can find shocker circuits on line.
http://www.electro-tech-online.com/electronic-projects/38-stun-gun.html
or in kit form.
http://www.elexp.com/kit_2070.htm

Perhaps also from joke shops. If you built it from scratch you could hurt yourself perhaps. Kits will be tested and non lethal (you would not want to try it on someone with a pacemaker).

Answer 4

Yes, current would flow, but not for long. That's a short circuit, so you'll drain the battery in no time. The length of the wire doesn't matter. Be careful. Getting shocked sucks.

Answer 5

Battery Shocker

Answer 6

Home-made shocker instructions
(follow at your own risk)
-buy a disposable camera (with flash!)
-pry the back off and take out the film and battery
-wind the camera and take one picture to discharge the capacitor
-open the front cover and look for the gold/silver arm, suspended by a small spring, and the long thin bar next to it. this is the shutter-flash trigger
-connect two paperclips to the two contacts (do not touch them together!)
-cut holes or position the paperclips so they extend thru the case
-re-assemble the camera, and reinsert the battery
-press the flash charge button on the front
-touch both paperclips to the skin of your unsuspecting victim
--for extra shocking power, get multiple cameras, and connect their capacitors in parallel!

Disclaimer: I do not endorse randomly shocking people. Electric shocks can interfere with pacemakers and other medical implants.

Answer 7

One more thing......this will not work since the voltage across the wire would technically be zero and the current at it maximun through the wire. You need more voltage (such as a capacitor) as has already been mentioned.

Answer 8

Yes current will flow through it, but you've made a short circuit, and if the battery is powerful enough and the wire is weak enough you may start a fire.

Answer 9

Yes. Very much yes.

But you won't shock anyone with a AA battery. Or even a 9V battery. (Unless you stick out your tongue.)

And if you're planning to use a car battery, the only "shocker" you might get is the one that kills you.

Answer 10

shock depends the amount of flow of current through live animals and is inverse propotional to the pd. If a battey is conected without a load maximum current flows may cause either fire or battey dead