Why does elecricity kill? What causes a magnet to be a magnet?

In summary, 1) Electricity can be dangerous if high amperage and voltage is used, as it can cause severe burn on the body. 2) magnets are created due to the movement of electrons around a nucleus, and the direction of its spin has no effect on the magnetic field.
  • #1
PrincePhoenix
Gold Member
116
2
Just a couple of simple questions.
1-Why does electricity kill?
2-What causes a magnet to be a magnet and certain things magnetic?
 
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  • #2
1. Electricity in itself does not kill. As a matter of fact, it does not even hurt. What is dangerous about electricity is the combination of many electrons traveling (amperage) at very high "energy" (voltage). Without this combination, there is no danger.

2. The magnetic property of matter, from the elementary point of view, comes from the movement of electrons around the nucleus.

Cheers
 
  • #3
What does high amperage and voltage do to kill? Like does it do anything to the heart or brain etc. And what type of movement causes magnetism?
 
  • #4
High amps and voltage causes severe burn on the body. If it travels through vital part, it will burn them, leaving you very little chance.

Before going any further, do you know what creates a magnetic field?
 
  • #5
Sorry I don't know.
 
  • #6
Hi there,

That's fine. But it might important to understand where magnetism comes from, before trying to understand magnetism in matter.

Ok, let's start from the start. Electric charges create an electric field. This electric field can interact with another electric field to develop a force on the initial charge. I hope you are following me up to now.

Now, for magnetism, take the same electric charge and throw it, or just put it in motion. The movement of the electric charge now develops an extra magnetic field. Ok, so knowing that electrons are moving around a nucleus, each electrons creates a small magnetic field. Having many electrons orbiting, the magnetic field from each can be either increase or destroy the magnetic field of the others.

Right. Cheers
 
  • #7
Thanks a lot. If I am not annoying you can you tell how the magnetic field of one electron in creases or decreases the other's? does the direction of its spin have any effect?
 
  • #8
Forget about the electron spin. Don't think of the electron in an quantum mechanics mannet. Stick to the classical theory.

Take the helium atom as a simple example. To make it really simple, take Bohr's representation of the atom. The helium atom has two electrons orbiting the nucleus. One electron creates a magnetic field. No problem up to now. The second electron also creates a magnetic field. To see the total magnetic field of the atom, you must sum the field created by the two electrons. In this case, the sum can be additive or destructive.

Cheers
 
  • #9
Thanks for explaining in a simplified way.
 
  • #10
PrincePhoenix said:
Just a couple of simple questions.
1-Why does electricity kill?
2-What causes a magnet to be a magnet and certain things magnetic?

1) the saying is "it's the volts that jolt, but the mills that kill". That is, a high-voltage low-current shunt through the body will not kill you, but simply act on your skeletal musculature, while a low-voltage high amperage (mills = milliamps) shunt can induce cardiac arrythmias (and death) by interfering with the timing control.

2) There are different kinds of magnets: ferromagnets/ferrimagnets, paramagnetics, and diamagnetics. The first two are 'permanent' magnets, in that they generate a magnetic field all by themselves. The other two describe how materials respond to an applied magnetic field; either by becoming oriented with (paramagnetism) or opposed to (diamagnetism) the applied magnetic field. If we are discussing the phenomena in terms of classical physics, the situation is analogous to the polarization of a dielectric.
 

Why does electricity kill?

Electricity can kill because it disrupts the electrical signals that control the body's functions. When the body is exposed to a high enough electric shock, it can interfere with the heart's natural rhythm and cause cardiac arrest. Additionally, high voltage electricity can cause severe burns and damage to internal organs.

What causes a magnet to be a magnet?

Magnets are made up of atoms that have electrons with aligned spins. These aligned spins create a magnetic field around the atom. When many of these atoms are lined up in the same direction, it creates a larger magnetic field, making the object a magnet.

Can electricity and magnets be related?

Yes, electricity and magnets are related through the electromagnetic force. When an electric current flows through a wire, it creates a magnetic field around the wire. Similarly, when a magnet moves near a wire, it can create an electric current in the wire.

Why do some materials attract to magnets while others don't?

The ability of a material to be attracted to a magnet depends on its atomic structure. Materials with unpaired electrons and aligned spins, such as iron, nickel, and cobalt, are attracted to magnets. Other materials, like copper or aluminum, do not have these properties and are not attracted to magnets.

Can magnets lose their magnetism?

Yes, magnets can lose their magnetism over time due to exposure to heat, certain chemicals, or strong magnetic fields in the opposite direction. This can cause the atoms to lose their aligned spins and weaken the magnetic field. However, some materials, like neodymium, can maintain their magnetism for a very long time.

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