# Congrats, Q.E.D.! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 22, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-q-e-d/190178 "2003-07-22T16:47:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-q-e-d/190178/21 "2003-08-01T10:20:22Z")
**QED** , nice work! Re. the electrocuted musicians: I just wanted to mention that you didn’t touch on relative voltages: the three dead musicians you mentioned were all British - IMO that’s for a reason, because we use 240v, and therefore are able to get more power through our systems if we touch a live circuit. In 110v-land it’s a bit safer. I’ve received mains shocks in Singapore (240v) and the US (110v) and I can assure you that the 110v one is preferable. Therefore it’s _slightly_ safer in the US. Though your advice on not removing the earth pin is, of course, totally correct. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-q-e-d/190178/22 "2003-08-02T01:22:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*This is so the voltage’ll be high enough to vaporize the mercury and exceed the breakdown voltage of the gas mixture, right? > > I mean, if I were to apply a super-high-voltage DC battery to a fluorescent lamp, I wouldn’t **need** to convert the current to AC, would I? \*\* More or les, yes. You’d still need some sort of current-limiting, but if yous tring a couple dozen 9 V batteries together you could run a bulb off them directly. **Jjimm** , I’ve gotten shocks of up to 20 or 30 kV from the inside of a TV set. Much fun, let me tell you. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-q-e-d/190178/23 "2003-08-02T13:53:01Z")
Was the TV set plugged in? Or was it capacitor discharge? The shock I got in Singapore blew a 30A tripswitch… It hurt rather a lot, not to mention throwing me across the room, leaving my mind bathed in pure white light, and me drooling on the floor having spasms. I’m a bit surprised I’m still here, to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-q-e-d/190178/24 "2003-08-05T18:58:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\ ***QED** , nice work! > > Re. the electrocuted musicians: I just wanted to mention that you didn’t touch on relative voltages: the three dead musicians you mentioned were all British - IMO that’s for a reason, because we use 240v, and therefore are able to get more power through our systems if we touch a live circuit. In 110v-land it’s a bit safer. I’ve received mains shocks in Singapore (240v) and the US (110v) and I can assure you that the 110v one is preferable. Therefore it’s _slightly_ safer in the US. Though your advice on not removing the earth pin is, of course, totally correct. \*\* I thought some places in the US used 220? Or is this just the mixing of too many half-forgotten memories? ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-q-e-d/190178/25 "2003-08-05T19:00:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > **I’ve received mains shocks in Singapore (240v) and the US (110v) and I can assure you that the 110v one is preferable. Therefore it’s _slightly_ safer in the US.** I thought some places in the US used 220? Or is this just the mixing of too many half-forgotten memories? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-q-e-d/190178/26 "2003-08-05T20:34:03Z")
Most residential dwellings in the US have a center-tapped 240 V feed from the electrical service grid. This gives two 120 V circuits for normal household use, plus 240 V that some appliances, such as electric ranges, air conditioners, and clothes dryers require. US industry often uses 480 V three-phase power. To state that a particular country uses X volts is simplistic and somewhat misleading. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-q-e-d/190178.md?page=1)