⚡ Why Don’t Birds Get Electrocuted on Wires?
⚡ Why Don’t Birds Get Electrocuted on Wires?
– A quick spark of physics.
Ever looked up and seen birds chilling on high-voltage wires like it’s no big deal? 🐦
Meanwhile, we touch a switch with wet hands and panic. 😰
So what’s the difference? Let’s break it down.
💡 What really causes electrocution?
Electricity doesn’t zap you just because you touch a wire.
It only flows when there’s a voltage difference and a path to travel through.
Think of it like a water slide:
No slope = no movement
No pipe = no flow
Same with current:
No voltage difference = no current = no electrocution.
🐦 So how are birds safe?
When a bird lands on just one wire, both its feet are at the same voltage.
There’s nowhere for the current to go → it doesn’t flow → the bird is safe.
It’s like standing on a flat surface — no slope, no slide.
⚠️ But birds aren’t shockproof.
If the bird accidentally touches two wires at different voltages, or a wire and a grounded pole,
Boom — the circuit completes, current flows, and the bird gets electrocuted. 😬
That’s also why linemen wear thick rubber gloves and work with insulated tools.
🧪 Try this (safe) electricity demo at home:
What you need:
A plastic ruler
Your hair
Small bits of paper
What to do:
Rub the ruler on your hair, then bring it close to the paper.
Watch the pieces fly up and stick! ✨
That’s static electricity — tiny charges creating motion.
No wires, no danger — but same idea: charge moves when it finds a path.
✅ Quick Recap:
Electricity flows when there’s a voltage difference + path
Birds sitting on one wire are at the same voltage → no current
No current = no shock
Physics saves the pigeon 😄
🎯 One-liner takeaway:
It’s not the wire that shocks you — it’s completing the circuit that does.
- Sharadhvi Tirakannavar
Nice explanation
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