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Re:Teenage schoolgirl 'electrocuted after rolling on to iPho... by klodolph on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @01:16PM (#15706171)
It only takes 100 or 200 mA to kill. This is probably not enough current to melt or break any conductors, the chargers are typically designed to deliver 1,000 mA or more. Off-brand chargers are known electrocution hazards and this is not the first case of injury, not even remotely.

Remember that heating follows P = I^2 R law, so it is entirely reasonable that the conductors wouldn't melt before the attached person dies. Current across the heart is not the only way to die from electricity, but it's not really that hard to accidentally get current across the heart anyway. For example, if your arm touches the energized phone case and your leg brushes against a metal pipe in the house, that could easily complete a lethal circuit.

Re:Teenage schoolgirl 'electrocuted after rolling on to iPho... by gruez on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @01:22PM (#15706246)
>It only takes 100 or 200 mA to kill

yes, but the actual amount of current that your organs are exposed to depends on the the resistance and voltage. that's why you can't electrocute yourself by putting your fingers on a 9v battery even though it's well over 200mA.

Re:Teenage schoolgirl 'electrocuted after rolling on to iPho... by klodolph on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @01:29PM (#15706343)
This isn't an iPhone we're talking about, this is the charger which is connected to 220V AC power. The chargers are build very small, and cheap off-brand chargers have insufficient clearance between the LV and the HV side. This is dangerous, and can cause the 220V mains to go through to the USB port. This is also a very well-known property of cheap phone chargers, and you can find many teardowns online that show what I'm talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi-b9k-0KfE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfJ3Ui8IS04

http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2016/10/25/cheap-usb-charger...

I have also seen a few videos of teardowns of actual faulty chargers. For example, there was one where some of the insulation in the transformer windings were damaged, and you would get a continuous shock just by touching the LV side of any devices that are plugged in.

Re:Teenage schoolgirl 'electrocuted after rolling on to iPho... by DanBC on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @02:01PM (#15706715)
> that's why you can't electrocute yourself by putting your fingers on a 9v battery even though it's well over 200mA.

If you break the skin a 9v battery can kill.

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-50.html

Re:Teenage schoolgirl 'electrocuted after rolling on to iPho... by candiodari on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @03:33PM (#15707477)
Exactly. If you create a 9v voltage between an artery and a vein (though 0.1v is plenty) and you generate more than around 160mA current (any battery and static electricity can do that).

Essentially you'd have to get a conductor into an artery and one into a vein, and if there is a millisecond where both are in there but not touching the skin your heart will stop. It can be restarted for a minute or so afterwards, but it won't restart on it's own.

Your skin has a "safe" (more or less) conductive layer to prevent this from occurring, with another layer with enormous insulation below that. That's why humans usually survive getting hit by lightning, yet succumb to such a stupid tiny amount of current if it gets past the skin.

Re:Teenage schoolgirl 'electrocuted after rolling on to iPho... by Avernar on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @03:32PM (#15707473)
> It only takes 100 or 200 mA to kill.

Only if it reaches your heart.