While I’m sure that there was torture at Abu Ghraib, including electrocution, I’d just like to note that car batteries are typically only at 12 volts (sometimes 24) and at that voltage potential can’t really harm people. They could have wired up multiple batteries in series but I think it’s more likely they just used cables connected to an outlet.
A 12 volt vehicle battery was being disconnected using a crescent wrench, which slipped and grounded out when it came in contact with metal. The person received a burn on his ring finger as his gold ring had come into contact with the wrench. The injury was completely around the ring finger and severe enough to cause concern about the loss of the finger from a lack of adequate circulation.
It has been pointed out that most vehicle batteries have 600-800 cranking amps, compared to 75 amps for stick welding and 300 amps for air arc welding. Severe burn injuries can occur and caution should be exercised when handling such batteries, including removing rings and other jewellery before starting work near or on a battery/connected wires and equipment.
I would consider third-degree electrical burns harmful.
Right, but that’s not exactly electrocution, that’s just burning. Through a metal, 12V will be more than enough to create a current that makes the conductor very hot, but through a human it likely will not be able to cause any damage whatsoever.
Could that be used as a form of torture? Absolutely, not disputing that. But for electrocution, a car battery would not do, and for burning a blowtorch would be more effective.
Yes, if you run hundreds of amps through metal it gets hot, but that’s not electrocution which is what the person you’re replying to is talking about. You can’t really electrocute someone with less than about 50V because the human body has too much resistance. You can try it yourself; lick 2 fingers and touch both poles of a car battery; you won’t feel anything because your skin has too much resistance for 12V to meaningfuly pass through. The only danger a 12V battery poses is if you short it with a piece of metal then that metal will get very hot and often hot enough to melt or explode both itself and/or the battery. But as far as torture goes a car battery is a very round about way to heat up a chunk of metal when you could just use a torch or something.
While I’m sure that there was torture at Abu Ghraib, including electrocution, I’d just like to note that car batteries are typically only at 12 volts (sometimes 24) and at that voltage potential can’t really harm people. They could have wired up multiple batteries in series but I think it’s more likely they just used cables connected to an outlet.
Injury involving contact with a vehicle battery
I would consider third-degree electrical burns harmful.
Right, but that’s not exactly electrocution, that’s just burning. Through a metal, 12V will be more than enough to create a current that makes the conductor very hot, but through a human it likely will not be able to cause any damage whatsoever.
Could that be used as a form of torture? Absolutely, not disputing that. But for electrocution, a car battery would not do, and for burning a blowtorch would be more effective.
Yes, if you run hundreds of amps through metal it gets hot, but that’s not electrocution which is what the person you’re replying to is talking about. You can’t really electrocute someone with less than about 50V because the human body has too much resistance. You can try it yourself; lick 2 fingers and touch both poles of a car battery; you won’t feel anything because your skin has too much resistance for 12V to meaningfuly pass through. The only danger a 12V battery poses is if you short it with a piece of metal then that metal will get very hot and often hot enough to melt or explode both itself and/or the battery. But as far as torture goes a car battery is a very round about way to heat up a chunk of metal when you could just use a torch or something.
It’s regular burn, not electrical one.
The gold ring being a great conductor likely didn’t help the man.