iphone4 Girl (Said to be) Electrified to Death by a Charging iPhone 4

[Motoko.]

Maybe Steve Jobs wanted to come back to life reincarnated(through electricity) in the form of a Chinese woman.

[HawkMan]

You do realise that using a phone while its charging damages the battery, that is why the cables are so short.

 

the amount of myths that still hang about in regards to charging is staggering. 

[illage3]

the amount of myths that still hang about in regards to charging is staggering. 

Wait that's a Myth?  If its not been on Myth busters then its not a Myth (joke)

Why would it damage it? The phone is on anyway.

When I said damage I wasn't refering to Physical damage, I mean that using the phone while its charging can kill the longevity of the battery (or so I've heard)

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

UPS systems rely on running power through batteries to condition the power signal, that requires the batteries to basically be in a constant state of discharge and recharge.

Any damage would depend on the type of battery used, some can't handle being fully discharged, some can suffer damage below a certain threshold, some can't handle being overcharged, etc. But I've never heard of using it while charging as damaging it.

[Dotdot]

Isnt a charging cable got like 5v 1a running through it or something ######.

The 1a would be enuff to kill tho as its only 0.6a that needs to pass over the heart before death.

Plus if it was at her head then the shock may have interfered with brain signals and caused a heart attack.

Im no Dr. or Electriction, so only an un-educated guess really.

Found this tho...
 

PC USB 5 volts 0.5 amps 2.5 Watts iPhone Charger 5 volts 1.0 amps 5 Watts iPad Charger 5.1 volts 2.1 amps 10 watts

and this

While any amount of current over 10 milliamps (0.01 amp) is capable of producing painful to severe shock, currents between 100 and 200 mA (0.1 to 0.2 amp) are lethal. Currents above 200 milliamps (0.2 amp), while producing severe burns and unconsciousness, do not usually cause death if the victim is given immediate attention. Resuscitation, consisting of artificial respiration, will usually revive the victim.

[Julius Caro]

a car battery is different, I think there's some serious current going on there

 

explains why I almost got fried by a car battery charger with a bad ground then

 

 

well I hope to see this story again after the investigation. Mabey she had heart problems she was unaware of before?

 

 

[Yazoo]

Don't think so.

 

hmm yes you can, its nothing to do with voltage its the amps that voltage is running at

[FaiKee]

Video from Chinese Police showing the iphone

 

http://you.video.sina.com.cn/api/sinawebApi/outplayrefer.php/vid=109743185_2_bRq2TiQ7DmXK+l1lHz2stqkM7KQNt6nnnynt71+iJwheVgyKZIrfO4kK4SnfB8tB8GRI/s.swf

 

[Astra.Xtreme]

It doesn't take much amperage to be deadly.  I think it's 100-200 mili-Amps.

Normally your skin will insulate you enough to dissipate it, but if it gets past that for some reason, it can kill you.

 

The chances are super slim, but there have been plenty of people that have died from dumb things like this.  This isn't Apple's fault though since this is a matter of physics beyond their control.

 

http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-50.html

[papercut2008uk]

Apple launches probe after Chinese bride-to-be, 23, dies 'from massive electric shock while answering her iPhone 5' (but it was an iphone 4)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2363956/Apple-launches-probe-Chinese-air-stewardess-23-dies-massive-electric-shock-answering-iPhone-5.html

[FaiKee]

It was a iphone 4, as you could see from the video above, even CCTV made the mistake and called it iphone5.

[primexx]

no she didn't.

[Hum]

I'm shocked :|

[LaP]

hmm yes you can, its nothing to do with voltage its the amps that voltage is running at

 

So electrical current has nothing to do with voltage? Probably has nothing to do with resistance either i guess.

 

Unless i'm mistaken dry skin resistance is non negligible (specially for DC).

 

 

The danger of electrical shock depends mainly on the total current flowing through the body.  The current, according to Ohm's Law, is proportional to the voltage divided by the total resistance of the circuit.  This includes the skin resistance plus the body's internal resistance.  The skin resistance can vary by a factor of 100 or more depending whether the skin is dry or moist with salty sweat.   For the same value of skin resistance the higher the voltage, the more danger of severe shock.  For the same value of voltage, the wetter the skin contact, the more danger.   Take your pick.

I have marked this answer as a follow-up to question number 6793 that discusses some other aspects of electrical shocks.

LeeH

 

http://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=6793

[Astra.Xtreme]

So electrical current has nothing to do with voltage? Probably has nothing to do with resistance either i guess.

*facepalm* Did you even read what he said?...  

[Stetson]

Isnt a charging cable got like 5v 1a running through it or something ****.

The 1a would be enuff to kill tho as its only 0.6a that needs to pass over the heart before death.

Plus if it was at her head then the shock may have interfered with brain signals and caused a heart attack.

Im no Dr. or Electriction, so only an un-educated guess really.

Found this tho...

 

PC USB 5 volts 0.5 amps 2.5 Watts iPhone Charger 5 volts 1.0 amps 5 Watts iPad Charger 5.1 volts 2.1 amps 10 watts

and this

 

 

Just because the charger can output 1a at 5v does not mean that it will put that current through the human body.

 

Current is based on voltage and resistance (V=IR)

 

The human body has much more resistance than a copper wire, although it does vary by the path and whether or not the skin is wet etc.

[LaP]

*facepalm* Did you even read what he said?...  

 

I highly doubt you're 5V 1A charger will be able to sustain this current thru dry human body resistance. I could be totally wrong though.

[Astra.Xtreme]

I highly doubt you're 5V 1A charger will be able to sustain this current thru dry human body resistance. I could be totally wrong though.

More than likely it won't, but if the current gets under your skin through a cut or something, it's definitely possible.  Plenty of people have died from such occurrences.

[vcfan]

More than likely it won't, but if the current gets under your skin through a cut or something, it's definitely possible.  Plenty of people have died from such occurrences.

 

you have to remember, there has to be a path to the brain, or the heart. with mains, its easy for the electricity to path through your heart,because if you're grounded with your feet for example, and you touch a live wire, the electricity will pass through your arm down to your feet,making it likely your heart will be in the path.  if you make a cut on 2 fingers on your left hand,and insert a 5v 1a probe on one finger,and ground on the other, the only thing you'll do is burn your hand,as electricity travels on the path of least resistance. this ground is called floating,as it is not the same ground as mains ground is(since its totally isolated in the charger/device),and this ground only exists inside the charger/device, so electricity will not flow through your hand to your feet like mains did,it will flow from one finger on your left hand,to the other finger on your left hand,taking the path of least resistance.

[FaiKee]

It depends on the energy(EI) released, a hight-tension cable across countries are step-up to kV's so the current step-down to mA's so the power loss (I^2*R) could be kept as low as possible, but it could still fry you just the same.  

 

According to preliminary inspection, the charger and the wire is still intact, but the phone is charred, it's something that happened within the phone.

[Astra.Xtreme]

you have to remember, there has to be a path to the brain, or the heart. with mains, its easy for the electricity to path through your heart,because if you're grounded with your feet for example, and you touch a live wire, the electricity will pass through your arm down to your feet,making it likely your heart will be in the path.  if you make a cut on 2 fingers on your left hand,and insert a 5v 1a probe on one finger,and ground on the other, the only thing you'll do is burn your hand,as electricity travels on the path of least resistance. this ground is called floating,as it is not the same ground as mains ground is(since its totally isolated in the charger/device),and this ground only exists inside the charger/device, so electricity will not flow through your hand to your feet like mains did,it will flow from one finger on your left hand,to the other finger on your left hand,taking the path of least resistance.

Why are you assuming a floating ground would be attached to a finger?  All the phone chargers I've seen aren't grounded.

[vcfan]

Why are you assuming a floating ground would be attached to a finger?  All the phone chargers I've seen aren't grounded.

 

what do you mean arent grounded? they have a floating ground,which is the 0v reference return path for the 5v coming from the other end. what im saying is, unless you stick the positive end onto one side of your body,and the negative end on the other side of your body, this 5v 1a will never electrocute you,because there isn't a path to your heart,or brain, like the example I used earlier where I said,if you short your 2 fingers,the only thing that would happen is that you would burn your hand,because the electricity is taking the path from one finger directly to the next.

 

AND this is assuming the mains portion is working properly. if the mains portion shorts to the output portion, then you can easily get electrocuted just by touching one of the wires,and being grounded to earth, but we're not talking about this scenario. we're strictly speaking about the theoretical potential of being electrocuted by 5v 1a.

[Astra.Xtreme]

what do you mean arent grounded? they have a floating ground,which is the 0v reference return path for the 5v coming from the other end. what im saying is, unless you stick the positive end onto one side of your body,and the negative end on the other side of your body, this 5v 1a will never electrocute you,because there isn't a path to your heart,or brain, like the example I used earlier where I said,if you short your 2 fingers,the only thing that would happen is that you would burn your hand,because the electricity is taking the path from one finger directly to the next.

 

AND this is assuming the mains portion is working properly. if the mains portion shorts to the output portion, then you can easily get electrocuted just by touching one of the wires,and being grounded to earth, but we're not talking about this scenario. we're strictly speaking about the theoretical potential of being electrocuted by 5v 1a.

Okay, I see what you're saying.  I misread your previous comment.

 

But if we take the situation into perspective, it's pretty safe to assume that the charger was faulty.  So the 5V regulator wasn't functional thus probably making the metal frame on the iPhone live with 220V.  And since she was answering the phone, she probably had it touching her face, which obviously is a very vulnerable area on the body.

 

The real question here is where the failure point is.

[vcfan]

Okay, I see what you're saying.  I misread your previous comment.

 

But if we take the situation into perspective, it's pretty safe to assume that the charger was faulty.  So the 5V regulator wasn't functional thus probably making the metal frame on the iPhone live with 220V.  And since she was answering the phone, she probably had it touching her face, which obviously is a very vulnerable area on the body.

 

The real question here is where the failure point is.

 

exactly, so the isolation part must have failed,and the live portion was shorted to the regulated portion, thus she could have been exposed to a live wire,and have been grounded to earth,and she got electrocuted.

[Astra.Xtreme]

exactly, so the isolation part must have failed,and the live portion was shorted to the regulated portion, thus she could have been exposed to a live wire,and have been grounded to earth,and she got electrocuted.

 

Agreed.