We all know what’s going to happen. Even so, it’s funny to watch these folks demonstrate how electric fencing, insulation, and grounding works with the expected outcome. See below for the explanation provided by the experimenters in the video.
From Angus Fowles, the video’s creator:
“For the benefit of the wider science community, I thought I would explain the basic principles behind this video. The electric fence used was a pulse electric fence. It shoots an electric pulse every few seconds. Note the first in line is holding the electric fence for the entire duration of the film. He is standing on plastic which is an insulator, therefore the electric current couldn’t travel through the plastic into the ground so it just keeps going down the wire and not into the human chain. However, when the last in line takes of his shoes, it means the electricity can run right through the chain through his feet and into the ground. I have heard from other sources that the closer you are to the end of the line the more resistance you cause and therefore you get the greatest shock. Poor guy! 🙂
Hope that helps!”
