Comments on: Episode 19: Killer Quicksand http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19 Outcomes from all MythBusters Episodes Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:49:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Brian http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-13067 Brian Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:40:25 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-13067 Contrary to a lot of comments from 'electricians', electricity does not only take the 'path of least resistance'. It takes all paths simultaneously and the current flowing through each path is inversely proportional to the resistance of the path. This is very basic parallel circuit stuff. Every path through the water is a parallel circuit and some of it will flow through your body. Whether that is enough to kill you or not depends on your position relative to the source and sink of the circuit. Contrary to a lot of comments from ‘electricians’, electricity does not only take the ‘path of least resistance’. It takes all paths simultaneously and the current flowing through each path is inversely proportional to the resistance of the path. This is very basic parallel circuit stuff.

Every path through the water is a parallel circuit and some of it will flow through your body. Whether that is enough to kill you or not depends on your position relative to the source and sink of the circuit.

]]> By: john http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-12648 john Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:15:38 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-12648 All true, but I'd add that all things equal, higher voltages are more dangerous provided they have sufficient current behind them. Voltage is also called "potential" for a reason, and high woltage wiring (such as the 6kv supply found on neon signs) by code has much thicker insulation. Most any person who likes to tinker around the house has been given a jolt of 110/120 a few times, if you're not barefoot and wet it just tingles a little. A friend who works on restaurant equipment barely survived a tangle with 220, he was dry but touching a metal stove. Was knocked unconscious and took months to get over the effects. Didn't even trip the breaker. Ask any utility worker about 440, they treat it with respect. In contrast I've worked on auto electrical equip. for many years and never heard of anyone getting injured by 12v, even with 550 amps behind it. In summary as you say everything must be in place but higher voltages are the ones that are likely to kill you, they will jump through air, insulation or flesh to find their path to ground. (110/120 is plenty) All true, but I’d add that all things equal, higher voltages are more dangerous provided they have sufficient current behind them. Voltage is also called “potential” for a reason, and high woltage wiring (such as the 6kv supply found on neon signs) by code has much thicker insulation. Most any person who likes to tinker around the house has been given a jolt of 110/120 a few times, if you’re not barefoot and wet it just tingles a little. A friend who works on restaurant equipment barely survived a tangle with 220, he was dry but touching a metal stove. Was knocked unconscious and took months to get over the effects. Didn’t even trip the breaker. Ask any utility worker about 440, they treat it with respect. In contrast I’ve worked on auto electrical equip. for many years and never heard of anyone getting injured by 12v, even with 550 amps behind it.
In summary as you say everything must be in place but higher voltages are the ones that are likely to kill you, they will jump through air, insulation or flesh to find their path to ground. (110/120 is plenty)

]]> By: george http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-12043 george Sun, 14 Aug 2011 14:44:09 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-12043 hou op om te maak asof julle als weet ffs hou op om te maak asof julle als weet ffs

]]> By: Eggs http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-12026 Eggs Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:42:10 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-12026 During their father's day special, the CBC radio program D.N.T.O. aired an interview of a young man whose experiences/observations contradict the death by tub myth. He clearly states that his father Marty (an electrical engineer) was standing ankle deep in a tub of water that had a live electrical wire in it (that he was holding - ah fathers!). During their father’s day special, the CBC radio program D.N.T.O. aired an interview of a young man whose experiences/observations contradict the death by tub myth. He clearly states that his father Marty (an electrical engineer) was standing ankle deep in a tub of water that had a live electrical wire in it (that he was holding – ah fathers!).

]]> By: Sam http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-11980 Sam Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:24:26 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-11980 This is not true. There are hoards of people (and computers) who work to prevent and fix vandalism and errors on wikipedia. Studies have show that wikipedia averages better accuracy than printed encyclopedias. This is not true. There are hoards of people (and computers) who work to prevent and fix vandalism and errors on wikipedia. Studies have show that wikipedia averages better accuracy than printed encyclopedias.

]]> By: Thomas http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-11976 Thomas Sat, 30 Jul 2011 15:14:47 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-11976 Wikipedia is a very unreliable source. Any random uneducated person with a computer can edit any article with false information. Wikipedia is a very unreliable source. Any random uneducated person with a computer can edit any article with false information.

]]> By: Don Jinright http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-11518 Don Jinright Sat, 21 May 2011 02:04:28 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-11518 I've heard of contraptions designed to damage some loud, arrogant, sophisticated music system by turning it on as someone drives (car stereo) by!? Where does one get plans for an item such as this to stomp out the boom-boxes while one is trying to sleep? Is this something covered in one of the Myth-busters Shows? Can it be if not? Thank you very much! I’ve heard of contraptions designed to damage some loud, arrogant, sophisticated music system by turning it on as someone drives (car stereo) by!?
Where does one get plans for an item such as this to stomp out the boom-boxes while one is trying to sleep?
Is this something covered in one of the Myth-busters Shows?
Can it be if not?
Thank you very much!

]]> By: felixnoir http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-11487 felixnoir Sun, 15 May 2011 16:23:38 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-11487 They've studied this. You need a special condition with quicksand where the water is upwelling from beneath. Have you ever sunk over your knees in wet sand? It's very, very hard to get out. It's all very well saying you can float on the sand: I daresay you can, but your legs are still trapped in there. No, they don't float up. Firstly, if you try floating in the sea, your legs below the knee will be sunk under the water, and so basically will your head. The floaty bits are the bits with air in them. Second, in quicksand they also have a weight of sand on top of them.There is also a kind of gluey effect. They’ve studied this. You need a special condition with quicksand where the water is upwelling from beneath. Have you ever sunk over your knees in wet sand? It’s very, very hard to get out. It’s all very well saying you can float on the sand: I daresay you can, but your legs are still trapped in there. No, they don’t float up. Firstly, if you try floating in the sea, your legs below the knee will be sunk under the water, and so basically will your head. The floaty bits are the bits with air in them. Second, in quicksand they also have a weight of sand on top of them.There is also a kind of gluey effect.

]]> By: Kylehobie http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-10666 Kylehobie Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:55 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-10666 I'm surprised that the myth busters didn't consider the possibility that killer quicksand isn't sand at all, rather some ground up organic material like wood particles or vermiculite, pumice or the like in water so that the density of the mixture was less than the density of a human body. A victim would have to be more dense than the quick "sand" to completely submerge, and as seen on the show, even the finest of sands mixed with water would still result in a mixture that is more dense than a human body. I’m surprised that the myth busters didn’t consider the possibility that killer quicksand isn’t sand at all, rather some ground up organic material like wood particles or vermiculite, pumice or the like in water so that the density of the mixture was less than the density of a human body. A victim would have to be more dense than the quick “sand” to completely submerge, and as seen on the show, even the finest of sands mixed with water would still result in a mixture that is more dense than a human body.

]]> By: bifimera http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19/comment-page-1#comment-9189 bifimera Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:55:11 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/episode19#comment-9189 how long are the wires? how long are the wires?

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