18. Does one get electrical shocks in space? How would we ground ourselves? (A K2S Question)
From The Space Library
An electrical shock occurs when electrical Current passes through the human body, and completes a circuit back to the electrical source. Our bodiesw act the same in Space as they do on the Earth. This means that we can get an electrical shock in space just like you can on the Earth. Suppose you touch something with electricity on it. You will get a shock if your body touches something that lets that electricity flow through your body and goes back to the circuit that is generating the electricity. On the Earth, Grounding ourselves means that we are in contact with the Earth, which is what the object is also in contact with. So the electricity will flow from the object through your body back to the earth and back to that object....i.e. Electrical Shock. If you are NOT grounded, (like floating in space) then you will not get a shock.
In Space, the Ground is the shell of the spaceship you are in. If you touch/stand/attach to something, and you touch something with electrical energy to allow that energy to pass through you and back, you will get a shock. But it is important to know that you cannot Ground yourself to the Earth because you are floating in Space.
Answer provided by John Cavallaro
Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer
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