The hazardous component of power is the __________, not the voltage.

• A. current
• B. voltage
• C. resistance
• D. power

Answer: (A)

Danger comes from the current flowing through a person, not just the voltage. Voltage provides the force that would push current, but the actual harm depends on how much current passes through the body. The body’s resistance varies a lot—from dry skin being high to wet skin being low—so the same voltage can produce very different currents. By Ohm’s law, current equals voltage divided by resistance, so the path through the body and how long the contact lasts determine the level of danger. Power describes how much energy is being transferred, but it’s the current that determines the severity of the electrical shock.