# Am I getting electrocuted by my tablet? (don't need answer fast) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** phones-tablets\ **Created:** [May 3, 2024, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-getting-electrocuted-by-my-tablet-dont-need-answer-fast/1001119 "2024-05-03T23:19:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2024, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-getting-electrocuted-by-my-tablet-dont-need-answer-fast/1001119/41 "2024-05-06T04:16:53Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > the figure 8 plug (what are those things called, anyway?) I recently learned that they’re C8 plug connectors ([IEC 60320](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320)). As far as I can tell, the 8 in the name is coincidental, though. ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_G](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_g/32/5080_2.png) [@Steven\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_G)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2024, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-getting-electrocuted-by-my-tablet-dont-need-answer-fast/1001119/42 "2024-05-06T10:33:57Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I am a bit surprised at **Steven\_G** ’s post that this is a common/known problem with the Surface Pro charger. I’ve never encountered this on any charger of mine and I’d consider it a defect. But apparently Microsoft does not. Just to say, Apple Mac laptops are also known to do this, and Apple don’t mind either. Cheaper laptops have plastic bodies so don’t do this 🙂 Link to a more full description of “touch current” standards. Seems if the current is low enough it’s in standard. [https://www.asutpp.com/touch-current.html](https://www.asutpp.com/touch-current.html) ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2024, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-getting-electrocuted-by-my-tablet-dont-need-answer-fast/1001119/43 "2024-05-06T11:10:31Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > The neutral wire is tied to ground at the electrical box, and should always be at zero volts relative to ground. You’re right that the hot wire reverses direction and goes through 0 volts, but _most_ of the time it’s at a higher voltage. This wording is confusing to me (possibly also to others). The neutral wire should always be at zero volts (relative to ground), but the hot wire doesn’t spend most of its time at a higher voltage; measured relative to the neutral wire, the hot wire swings between a large positive voltage and a large negative voltage. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2024, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-getting-electrocuted-by-my-tablet-dont-need-answer-fast/1001119/44 "2024-05-06T12:35:00Z")
For “120 V” systems, the voltage on the hot wire alternates between +170 V and -170 V. For a significant amount of time it is between 40 V and 170 V, and for a significant amout of time it is between -40 V and -170 V. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2024, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-getting-electrocuted-by-my-tablet-dont-need-answer-fast/1001119/45 "2024-05-06T18:56:56Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > This wording is confusing to me (possibly also to others). That’s a fair nitpick–I would just say that I meant high voltage in the general sense, not the strict numeric sense. A circuit that produced -10,000 V would be called a high voltage circuit, not a low voltage circuit. The hazard is related to the maximum difference between voltages, not the numeric values. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-getting-electrocuted-by-my-tablet-dont-need-answer-fast/1001119.md?page=2)