A shock from as little as 50 VAC for as little as how long can disrupt the heart's rhythm and cause death?

A shock from as little as 50 VAC for as little as how long can disrupt the heart's rhythm and cause death?

• A. 0.5 seconds
• B. 2 seconds
• C. 1 second
• D. 5 seconds

Answer: (C)

The heart relies on precise electrical signals to maintain a steady rhythm, and an external current passing through the chest can override those signals. At household AC frequencies, that current can provoke a dangerous arrhythmia, such as ventricular fibrillation, very quickly. Because the heart’s rhythm can be disrupted in a moment, exposure to as little as 50 VAC for about one second can be enough to cause a life-threatening interruption. The exact outcome depends on factors like the current path through the body and skin resistance, but the key point is that a brief shock can be deadly, making one second the critical threshold in this context.

The heart relies on precise electrical signals to maintain a steady rhythm, and an external current passing through the chest can override those signals. At household AC frequencies, that current can provoke a dangerous arrhythmia, such as ventricular fibrillation, very quickly. Because the heart’s rhythm can be disrupted in a moment, exposure to as little as 50 VAC for about one second can be enough to cause a life-threatening interruption. The exact outcome depends on factors like the current path through the body and skin resistance, but the key point is that a brief shock can be deadly, making one second the critical threshold in this context.