why is it that birds don't get electrocuted even if they perch on electric wires?
88465
"the only reason why birds on power lines usually aren't electrocuted is because the wire is the only thing they're touching!   \n\nLike all energy, electricity seeks equilibrium, or balance. That means electricity will flow from high-energy areas to areas of less energy, always using the path of least resistance. So if the bird has one foot on our original wire, and the other foot on, for example, the ground or on a different wire with less voltage, the bird would be electrocuted, because the electricity would pass through the bird on its way from the high-voltage line to the lower-voltage line or the ground.\n\nBut as long as both of the bird's feet are on the same wire (or wires of the same voltage), the bird is safe. The current doesn't have anywhere else to go, so the electricity won't pass through the bird--it stays on the path of least resistance, the wire.\n\nThis would work for humans, too--if you were to hang suspended from one of these wires, you wouldn't be electrocuted, as long as you didn't get too close to anything else, like a ladder or a telephone pole or the ground. But don't try this experiment at home! If you want proof, just look up at the birds on the wires!"\n\nThere is another website at the sources that could help you. Hope this helps!!! :0)
814188
No matter how great the voltage or electrical source, the current will pass through the water through the path of least resistence to find ground...\n\nNo fish will die, even if the path is through them, since they will only act as a conductor and not direct path to ground...\n\nTo test this, You and a friend should work together...  Hold hands.  Only of you acheive a static charge, like dragging your feet on the carpet, and then the other while you are holding hand hould touch a door knob (grounded object)...  Only the person touching ground will get the shock, even though the electricity passed though you both...\n\nFlying Airplanes get struck by lightening all the time, but they seldom have any electrical issues and since they are not grounded, the passengers don't feel a thing...  It's kinda scary, but it's cool too.
73902
yes.\n\nyou will not get electrocuted because your the current of your pee is not enough for electricity to pass through (and electricity will have to go against the flow for that matter) and electrocute you.
866753
Electricity from trees
181491
It takes a very high voltage.  The earth is a conductor, but still has substantial resistance.  A high voltage source is connected: one terminal to the wire, one terminal to a metal stake in the ground.  When an animal touches the wire with its feet on the earth, current flows down the wire, into the skin of the animal, through the body down to the feet, through the feet into the earth, through the moist earth back to the metal stake, from the metal stake back into the power source ,completing the cicuit.  \n   Relatively low current, but high voltage gives a shock.
303921
no they are not grounded so it would be like you if you were hanging on a line that was electricuted.  As long as youre not touching the ground the current won't need to burn through you
694239
Partly, it's the path the electricity takes.\n\nBut remember, it's not the volts that kill ya, it's the amperes.\n\nI once shorted out the entire electrical system of an old car engine with my bare hands (don't ask why; I was an idiot)  This was thousands of volts - but there's so few amps going through the distributor that all I got was a nasty jerk and a really funky hairdo.  \n\nBut just because I survived that stupidity - don't try it.  You could get a big boo-boo.
337419
When perching birds sit, a tendon on the backside of the ankle automatically flexes locking their toes around the branch. With feet locked, sleeping birds don't fall. As the bird stands up its feet release.
576717
for a flow in electricity to occur, there has to be a change in voltage.  the bird is touching only one line a very short distance apart.  as there is no difference in voltage between the two points, there can be no traveling of current through the bird.  \n\nalso, the wire offers less resistance to travel than does the bird.  if the roles were reversed, the bird would carry the current.  \n\nand lastly, the wire is insulated.  it's not just bare metal.  this protects the birds and squirrels from the fatal charge.
715375
Some heating elements are live, and some are not. Wire heating elements (in some electric kettles) are live, so it is not a good idea to touch them or stick your finger in the water that they are heating! I will describe the other type of heating elements as "tube" type heating elements. This is the type you often find in ovens and in some electric kettles. This type has the live wire running down the centre of a metal tube, however there is an insulator inside the tube between the wire and the outer metal tube. These are safe to touch as long as there is no fault in the element and as long as you don't mind getting burnt!!\n\nThe other point to make is that one end of the element is "live" while the other end is "neutral", or very close to "earth" potential. So, for the wire elements, it depends where you touch it as to whether you will be electrocuted.
1076592
A shock is caused by a flow of current through a body. So for the bird to be shocked there would need to be a current running through her body. There is no current running through the bird's body for two reasons. The first reason is that the bird's body has a high resistance, so the current would rather pass through the wire instead of the bird. Since the current can go through the wire or through the bird to get to the same point, you can think of the wire as being a highway and the bird as a one way mountainous country road. It is easier for the current to pass through the highway (or wire) than it would to take the harder mountainous route (the bird). The second, and more important, reason no current passes through the bird is that in order for current to flow through the bird there must be a voltage across the bird's body. Since, the bird is careful to have both feet on the same wire there is not enough voltage across the bird's body to allow current to flow. If the bird were to touch the wire and at the same time the ground or some object connected to the ground, it would receive a deadly shock.
1014366
No animals in the ocean cannot be struck by lightening generally speaking because the creatures are not on the surface of the water like a boat. When the lightening hits the water, it's energy is discharged on the surface, not below the surface.
933665
It was a safety measure to avoid electrocutions. It works even though it costs more for the wires. \nSome people think it was to match battery supplied electrical systems but that is not right.
964669
If it has wings it's a "fly"\nIf it doesn't it's  "grounded"!!! \nThat was a cute question. I'd never thought of that....LOL ;o)
704271
No, unless they are at the water surface at the point of impact or a few feet away. The reason is that electrical charge weakens, (dissipates),  dramatically fast with distance, in the water.\nDan.
675159
Actually eclipse is wrong on the static dischargers, too.  All they do is slowly get rid of any excess charge on the plane relative to the surrounding air.\n\nThe answer to the ? is that planes AREN'T grounded electrically.  All the electrical and electronic stuff in them is grounded to the metallic structure of the plane, snd this is the return path for all current using devices.  Planes made of certain non-conductive composites use separate grounding wires and busses to do the job.
283845
Clearing a few things up:\nlightning can go from cloud to ground, ground to cloud, or cloud to cloud.\nThe charge buildup that causes the lightning is focused in the cloud and on the ground.  But the lightning doesn't go from one to the other and just stop.  The difference in charge becomes large enough to cause a "jump" between the air and ground (or whatever the source/target).  This is like an arc in an electrical current... the voltage builds up to a point where the inhibition of the atmosphere (or wire covering) aren't enough to contain it, cuasing the ions to jump from the one place to the other.  As an aside, lightning is caused by opposite charges building up.  Typical lightning is negative (negative charge flowing to positive charge).  Less common is positive lightning, which is much more powerful/damaging.  The -/+ ions flow to the opposite charge.  Lightning starts wth a stepped leader of particles "reaching out" from the source AND target until a path of low enough resistance is found at which time the lightning strikes.  The path is set and large amounts of ions flow along the path until the charge difference/voltage decreases to a point at which the resistance restrains the flow again.\nThe lightning doesn't stop at the ground when coming from the cloud... it keeps spreading out until the charge difference is neutralized/the energy dissipated.  This can lead to lightning ions travelling large distances into the ground (or along underground phone lines and such).\n\nTired of me talking?  Looking for a point?\nThe point is that you can be hit in the sky!  Partciles of air aren't directly grounded either, but the lightning goes through them.  Humans are less resistant than air (that's why being the tallest object in a thunderstorm is dangerous), so in theory you are the easier path.  And just because you aren't grounded doesn't mean you don't get burned as the lightning passes through you (just as it would if you were grounded).\n\nDoubt the danger is rediculously extreme, but its a threat.