Why is it that 10,000 Volts of static shock will not harm you, but licking a 12 V car battery will kill you.?

It has little to do with the volts. Its got to do with the amps.

The two are linked together though, but as it is, you can get a fair amount of voltage w/o much amperage. That being said, I think a milliamp can kill you, so you don't necessarily need much voltage.

heres a good short read:

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/feb98/8870610...

Electrical shock is received when current passes through the body. Severity of the shock depends on: (1) path of current through the body (2) Amount of current flowing through the body (3) Length of time the body is in the circuit. LOW VOLTAGE DOES NOT MEAN LOW HAZARD. Currents greater than 75 mA can cause ventricular fibrillation (rapid, ineffective heartbeat) and will cause death in a few minutes unless a defibrillator is used. 75 mA is not much current - A small power drill uses 30 times as much! When two wires have different potential differences (voltages), current will flow if they are connected together. In most household wiring, the black wires are at 110 volts relative to ground. The white wires are at zero volts because they are connected to ground. If you come into contact with a "live" black wire, and you are also in contact with the white grounded wire....CURRENT WILL PASS THROUGH YOUR BODY! If you are in contact with an energized wire or any energized electrical component, and also with any grounded object, you will get a shock. You can even receive a shock when you re not in contact with a ground. If you contact both wires of a 240-volt cable, you WILL receive a shock and possibly be electrocuted.

Static electricity discharges through the body at such a rapid rate that there isn't enough time for its effects to breakdown any important tissues in the body.

Voltage is the force, but current is the moving charge that causes the harm and damage.

A car battery is able to produce and sustain enough amperage (charges in motion) to cause serious skin tissue breakdown and other internal damage if left connected to you.

Regular alkaline batteries cannot produce and sustain this critical amount of amperage.

Remember, voltage is just the force. Current, or amperage, is the electrical charges in motion that can harm you.

I doubt you would be killed by a car battery. Yes, a small amount of current through the heart is fatal, but 12V cannot generate even that amount of current because of skin resistance. Under 50V is generally considered safe, but I have heard of a case where someone was electrocuted by a 1.5V AA cell. You really have to be trying to kill yourself for that to happen.

Ohm's law gives you the current your body will get from a voltage. Dry skin has high resistance (thousands of ohms). Even with wet skin, 12V still shouldn't be harmful.

The reason static electricity of thousands of volts doesn't hurt, is there is very little charge behind it. Current is charge in motion--little charge means little current. Power sources have a lot of charge so can provide significant current. That AA battery is capable of providing the current to kill you, but your skin resistance will mean you won't draw that current.

Don't be deceived that AC is somehow safer. The peak voltage of 120V AC is actually 170V.

alternating current is exactly that, "alternating" starting and stopping, long enough for you to be able to drop it or fall away from shock. Usually 120 volt type stuff... Direct current on the other hand.... Is a flow of electrons no-stop full force without interruption. Very Dangerous, indeed.

its the amperage that does the damage not the voltage..check amperage in 9 v batterys in any configuration..then a 12 car battery....nuff said

Volt don't kill

Amper yes

Like wire sizing, the ampreage is the only factor in how lethal a shock is.

Because there are no AMPS in static and a car battery has for 400 to 1200 AMPS and the amps is what kills you!!! and you heard it here first from a REAL Nutcase!!""NUT'S""..PS ..did i win...did i win...did i win???

amps kill not volts