Which current, in amperes, is potentially fatal?

Which current, in amperes, is potentially fatal?

• A. 0.001 amps
• B. 0.005 amps
• C. 0.015 amps
• D. 0.07 amps

Answer: (D)

Current through the body is what makes electrical shocks dangerous, especially when the current can affect the heart. Small currents cause tingling, moderate currents can cause muscle contractions or the inability to let go, and higher currents—especially through the chest and for a longer time—can disrupt the heart’s rhythm and lead to ventricular fibrillation, which can be fatal. The heart is most sensitive to currents in the tens of milliamperes range when AC is involved. Among the given values, 0.07 amperes equals 70 milliamperes, which is within the range that can trigger dangerous heart rhythms if it passes through the chest and lasts even briefly. That makes it potentially fatal. The smaller currents (1 mA, 5 mA, 15 mA) are unlikely to cause fatal heart rhythms, though they can still be dangerous or painful. So the current of 0.07 A is the one that can be potentially fatal due to its capacity to disrupt the heart’s electrical activity.

Current through the body is what makes electrical shocks dangerous, especially when the current can affect the heart. Small currents cause tingling, moderate currents can cause muscle contractions or the inability to let go, and higher currents—especially through the chest and for a longer time—can disrupt the heart’s rhythm and lead to ventricular fibrillation, which can be fatal. The heart is most sensitive to currents in the tens of milliamperes range when AC is involved.

Among the given values, 0.07 amperes equals 70 milliamperes, which is within the range that can trigger dangerous heart rhythms if it passes through the chest and lasts even briefly. That makes it potentially fatal. The smaller currents (1 mA, 5 mA, 15 mA) are unlikely to cause fatal heart rhythms, though they can still be dangerous or painful.

So the current of 0.07 A is the one that can be potentially fatal due to its capacity to disrupt the heart’s electrical activity.