Am 17.05.2010 14:44, schrieb Warp:

>    Thus I think I wouldn't be really wrong when I say "it's not the current
> that kills you, it's the electrical power transfer (over time)".

No, normally not.

Electrical power transfer /per se/ can kill by either electrolysis or 
excessive heat.

Most people killed by electricity die of cardiac arrest though, which is 
caused neither by current nor by voltage, but primarily by a "suitable" 
frequency (though of course a certain V=I*R threshold must be exceeded 
as well).

Mains does not provide enough power to do much harm via /power 
transfer/, even with prolonged exposure: While it typically does cause 
burns at the point of contact, it takes high-voltage lines to inflict 
really serious burns - and even then they're not necessarily fatal.

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