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Most people can agree that there are certain things they'd never want to experience, and being electrocuted is high on that list for many. Unfortunately, this does happen to some, and while movies often depict people being zapped, have you ever wondered what truly happens during an electrocution? Here are 10 facts that reveal what you may not know about the process of electric shock.
10. Electricity does NOT flow into the body
We've all seen scenes in movies where a character interacts with electricity, and the electricity appears as visible, bright energy flowing from a wire or object straight into the person. This portrayal, though dramatic, is actually far from accurate on a technical level.
What actually occurs is that an electrical current travels through your body, causing the electrons within your body to become highly energized. Your own internal electrical charge is disrupted, and the energy will seek the quickest exit. Much like how water boils not from the fire itself but from the change in the energy of its molecules, people are shocked because of a shift in their atomic structure.
9. Our bodies can be hurled across a room
A familiar movie scene shows someone being thrown across the room, overloaded with electrical energy, propelled by the sheer force of the shock. While you might imagine electricity tossing you across the space like a rag doll, the truth is a little different.
While the effect is indeed real, it’s not the surge of electricity that physically knocks you away. Instead, the electricity causes your body’s nerves to misfire, leading to an involuntary leap, like a chaotic game of “why are you hitting yourself.” These erratic muscle contractions can even cause your body to expel bodily fluids, potentially requiring a quick change of clothes.
8. Water isn't a perfect conductor
Everyone knows water is a strong conductor of electricity, especially when it interacts with any damp creatures nearby. Movies and pop culture even suggest that dropping a potato-powered clock into a puddle could stop people dead in their tracks. But what if I told you that you’ve been misled about water’s conductivity?
Believe it or not, water is actually a poor conductor of electricity. The flow of electricity between its molecules is almost nonexistent due to a lack of unstable electrons. But in the real world, electricity can flow through water surprisingly well, and that's because of the dissolved solids like metals and minerals. So the next time you see someone in a movie electrocuted by a puddle, you can start an interesting discussion about how they probably wish that puddle was ultra-pure distilled water.
7. Your Eyes Could Melt
Your eyes are some of the most intricate and sensitive organs in your body. They consist of many delicate parts, all precisely designed for their function, and they were never meant to face electrocution.
As we’ve already explained, it’s the electrical current that travels through your body, causing the burns typically associated with electrocution. However, eyes, due to their moist nature and complex nerve network, are particularly vulnerable. A strong enough or prolonged electric shock can cause the eyes to melt, turning them into a soupy, milky substance as the shock disrupts their delicate structure.
6. Your Skin Could Become Charred
The scientific term for this process is carbonization, and it marks a significant turning point during an electrocution. This is when your flesh becomes so charred that it actually obstructs the flow of electricity.
While it may sound like a good thing for someone being electrocuted that the flow of electricity is blocked, the reality is that by the time your skin starts to burn, you’re probably already in serious trouble. The burns caused by an intense electrocution can lead to your flesh carbonizing, making you as crispy as a burnt piece of bacon. This is one of the most agonizing aspects for those who are fortunate enough to survive a powerful electric shock.
5. It Can Alter Your Brain!
Most people are aware that our brains are delicate. After all, they're protected by bone for a reason, and we've all seen the consequences of what can happen to the brain under the influence of drugs. It should come as no surprise that electrocution isn’t exactly beneficial to the brain either.
Electricity can fry the brain faster than an egg in a drug warning commercial. What some don’t realize, however, is that just like drugs, electrocution can also change our brain chemistry.
Lightning strikes are the oldest known form of electrocution, and they can have severe effects on our brains, with some execution methods being less harmful. Survivors and their families often struggle with the changes that occur in the victim, such as shifts in personality, memory loss, and mood swings. These are common after Zeus decides to use you as a target. The root cause lies in brain chemistry, as certain brain areas are damaged while others are altered, leading to a disruption in the chemical balance. Fortunately, this usually fades within weeks or months, but in rare cases, it can last a lifetime.
4. Heart Failure
Our vital organs operate through highly precise processes, often without us even noticing. Our lungs breathe, our heart beats in rhythm, and everything else relies on the blood and oxygen these two organs provide. Disruption to any of these functions can be fatal.
It’s entirely possible to be electrocuted without causing damage to major vital organs, as the current tends to follow the quickest path to something grounded. However, it’s crucial to avoid the electrical current from passing through the heart. For this reason, trying to rescue someone by grabbing them can be deadly. When electricity flows through the heart, it causes the organ to spasm and beat erratically in a condition called fibrillation. Even if the current is removed, fibrillation can persist, often leading to a quick death.
3. Some Bacteria Can Consume Pure Electricity
Anyone with an interest in biology knows that life is incredibly resilient. From every corner of the world, microbes with all sorts of unique abilities thrive. While we’re all familiar with the toughness of extremophiles that live in extreme conditions like ice or space, and the well-known durability of tardigrades, what most people don't realize is that there are bacteria and microbes that feed on electrons.
In relatively recent studies, simply placing an electrode into the ground has been enough to attract these bacteria, and they flock to this all-you-can-eat buffet. Scientists, ever the curious lot, began sticking their electrodes into various places, finding that these bacteria are everywhere, even emerging from solid rock. As of 2015, when the study was published, researchers identified 8 different bacteria species that feed on pure electricity, and as this field of study progresses, it’s likely more will be discovered.
2. You Can Get a Static Shock from Small Electric Devices
We've all experienced the uncomfortable jolt of static electricity, especially when reaching out to touch someone, only to be met with a sharp spark. And, let’s be honest, it’s okay to blame the person who gave you that shock – we all do it. However, what many don’t expect is to receive a static shock from something seemingly harmless, like a pair of headphones.
The materials used in most headphones and speakers are excellent at building up static electricity, which can result in a minor to major shock to the user. Even major brands have warned about this issue on their websites, citing defective products. In the most extreme cases, the buildup and proximity to your head can have fatal consequences. For instance, one young boy tragically died when his phone received a surge of electricity through its charger, which then traveled through the headphone jack and shocked him, leading to his death.
1. Cuts, Concussions, and Broken Bones
While electric burns and organ damage are some of the most terrifying consequences of electrocution, they aren't the most frequent injuries. As the electrical current surges through your body, causing the muscles to fire randomly, it’s common for the body to convulse uncontrollably. This violent shaking is where many victims sustain injuries during the process.
As your body twitches and jerks, it doesn’t occur in isolation, and the environment around you can inflict serious harm. Blunt force trauma is a frequent result, whether it’s from your head crashing against the ground or your limbs kicking out with intense force, leading to broken toes or worse. These fractures can be agonizing during recovery, as the body continues to spasm, unintentionally slamming a broken limb against objects that initially caused the damage.
