Amount of current and voltage in an average shock from a door nob?

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SUMMARY

The average shock from a doorknob can reach voltages of up to 10kV, with a peak current potentially exceeding a couple of hundred amps, although the duration of this shock is extremely brief, around 1 nanosecond. According to the ESD test standard EN 61000-4-2, the output circuit for air discharge testing consists of a 150pF capacitor in series with a 330 Ohm resistor. While the energy associated with such a shock is minimal, typically around 7.5mJ, the sensation of the shock is primarily influenced by the current, which can feel significant despite its short duration.

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  • Familiarity with the EN 61000-4-2 ESD test standard
  • Knowledge of electrical components such as capacitors and resistors
  • Basic concepts of current, voltage, and energy in electrical circuits
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Amount of current and voltage in an average "shock" from a door nob?

What is the amount of current and voltage in an average "shock" from a door nob/handle? I have looked everywhere and cannot seem to find it! Please help!
Thanks
 
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wushumaster said:
What is the amount of current and voltage in an average "shock" from a door nob/handle? I have looked everywhere and cannot seem to find it! Please help!
Thanks

The common ESD test standard is EN 61000-4-2, and the test devices that you use to zap the equipment under test (to be sure they will be reliable in the real world) use an output circuit of 150pF in series with a 330 Ohm output resistor for air discharge testing. The rise time of the output discharge is on the order of 1ns.

For you to feel the shock, it would need to be at least a couple of kV. The peak currents are high (a couple hundred amps I think but I'm not sure about that), but the duration is so small that there is not much energy behind it. 10kV stored on 150pF is only 7.5mJ.
 


But we typically feel at least a small shock, right? So since current dominated what we "feel" are you saying that we would feel 100s of mA? Because I thought that kind of current has the potential to kill us. Electrical muscle stimulation max current is only 64 mA.
I'm trying to put in perspective for the IRB that the shock from EMS is not that big/ bad...
 


wushumaster said:
But we typically feel at least a small shock, right? So since current dominated what we "feel" are you saying that we would feel 100s of mA? Because I thought that kind of current has the potential to kill us. Electrical muscle stimulation max current is only 64 mA.
I'm trying to put in perspective for the IRB that the shock from EMS is not that big/ bad...

But as I said, this transient current only lasts for about a nanosecond. That's the difference.

Still, I've managed to shock myself accidentally during product ESD testing, and it's no fun at all. And I've accidentally taken about a 10kV air discharge from arm-to-arm (the worst way), and I could feel my heart not appreciating it at all. Luckily, most static shocks that you feel in normal life are just a kV or two, and not typically arm-to-arm.
 

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