I would put this in Cafe Society, but it is a ore general question. In the movie Matt Damn’s son is electrocuted when he dives in toa poll in which there is a broken underwater light presumably sending electric current into the pool.
My question is, is the amount of water in the pool enough to make the elctricity from a light fixture, less than lethal.
…dives into a pool…
D’oh!
I am pretty sure we did this one recently. The answer was that it wouldn’t be lethal even with just a little water because underwater lights are designed not to be. Sorry, I can’t remember the voltage talk but a broken light in a pool won’t kill anyone.
Here’s the previous thread: Getting electrocuted in a pool - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board
Thanks!
Would this still be true if some schmoe used the wrong light, ie, a regular floodlight of some sort? (now I’ll jaunt off through the linked thread to see if that’s discussed there)
In Practical Sailor magazine, there were several articles about the mysteries of plugging a boat’s electrics into “shore power” (an outlet box on the dock.) A surprisingly small amount of current leaking into the water can disturb a person’s muscle control, taking away his ability to swim. It’s not the usual quick, shuddering electrocution, but if you can’t swim, you sink and drown.