Why Do Some People Conduct Electricity and Others Don't?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the variability in electrical conductivity among individuals, as observed through experiments involving volt meters and radio frequency detectors. Participants explore potential biological and physical explanations for these phenomena, including the role of body composition and environmental factors.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the human body contains water with dissolved ions, which may contribute to its ability to conduct electricity.
  • Another participant suggests that the body could act as an antenna for local radio frequencies, referencing a case where dental fillings allowed a person to receive radio transmissions.
  • A different viewpoint highlights that holding a meter probe in each hand creates a loop that could couple with mains electricity, potentially leading to misleading readings.
  • Some participants express interest in further details about the experiments conducted.
  • One participant mentions the age of the thread, indicating a long-standing interest in the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing views regarding the reasons for the observed differences in electrical conductivity, and the discussion remains unresolved with no consensus reached.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations regarding the assumptions made about body composition, environmental influences, and the specific conditions under which the experiments were conducted. The role of external factors such as mains electricity and radio frequencies is also not fully clarified.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring the intersection of biology and physics, particularly in relation to human physiology and electrical conductivity, as well as those curious about experimental methods in these fields.

beatfrequency
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I wasn't sure whether to post this question in biology or physics.

I'm stumped on a couple experiments.

Here are the basic experiments. I have people wash their hands and dry them off and then hold onto the probes of a volt meter. To my surprise some people give a reading as high as .3Volts while others give 0 volts. Why is that?

The other experiment involves a radio frequency detector with an antenna. In open air it just scans and reads nothing but when I place the antenna about an inch away from a person the radio frequency detector often detects some frequencies while in other people it does not. The subjects said that they had no metal fillings or other metal placed in their bodies. What might cause that?

Thanks in advance for ideas.
 
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A human body has a lot of water with ions dissolved in it, and that conducts electricity.
For the static voltage, those reactions might influence the result.
 
I am fascinated by your experiment can you share more information
 
This thread is 2.5 years old.
 
At the risk of 'thread necromancy', may I point out that your body may serve as an antenna for local radio stations etc ? There was the infamous case of a man whose semi-metallic dental fillings rectified the local station's output, meaning he could often hear their transmissions. Fortunately, his counsellor thought to test the claim, rather than ring for a squad of orderlies. Later, many real-neat 'Science Fair' projects powered their simple wide-band radios' 'flea-power' amplifier from the local station's rectified output. Update that, touching the open input of your digital voltmeter's high-impedance, high-gain amplifier may provide signals within the amp's bandwidth. This is, of course, distinct from 'carpet zap' static...
 
Also aware it's an old thread but...

If they held a meter probe in each hand then there was a loop formed comprising the meter leads, their body and the meter. This loop is capable of coupling with the mains in the building. Can cause all sorts of strange readings on a meter.
 

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