Which statement is accurate regarding injury risk with current?

Which statement is accurate regarding injury risk with current?

• A. A low current always injures
• B. A high current can injure a person even if voltage is low
• C. Electricity is harmless regardless of current
• D. Voltage alone determines injury

Answer: (B)

Injury risk hinges on the current flowing through the body, not just the voltage present. The body’s resistance can vary a lot (wet skin, contact area, path through the body), so a relatively low voltage can still drive a dangerous amount of current if the conditions reduce impedance. That current is what causes physiological effects—nerves, muscles, and the heart can be affected, with higher currents increasing the risk of injury or serious harm, even when voltage is low. So the statement that a high current can injure a person even if voltage is low is the most accurate reflection of how electricity interacts with the body. The other ideas aren’t correct because current, not voltage alone, determines injury; small currents may be harmless under some conditions, and voltage alone doesn’t guarantee safety or danger.

Injury risk hinges on the current flowing through the body, not just the voltage present. The body’s resistance can vary a lot (wet skin, contact area, path through the body), so a relatively low voltage can still drive a dangerous amount of current if the conditions reduce impedance. That current is what causes physiological effects—nerves, muscles, and the heart can be affected, with higher currents increasing the risk of injury or serious harm, even when voltage is low. So the statement that a high current can injure a person even if voltage is low is the most accurate reflection of how electricity interacts with the body.

The other ideas aren’t correct because current, not voltage alone, determines injury; small currents may be harmless under some conditions, and voltage alone doesn’t guarantee safety or danger.