Two boys are playing basketball in their backyard. To cool off, they decide to jump into
their pool. The pool has a vinyl lining, so the water is electrically insulated from the earth. Unknown to the boys, there is a ground fault in one of the pool lights. One boy jumps in and while standing in the pool with water up to his chest, reaches up to pull in the other boy, who is holding onto a grounded hand rail, as shown in Fig. 9.29a. What is the impact of this action?

Question

Accepted Answer

The action in Fig. 9.29a is modeled as shown in Fig. 9.29b. Note that since a ground fault has occurred, there exists a current path through the two boys. Assuming that the fault, pool, and railing resistances are approximately zero, the magnitude of the current through the two boys would be

I = [latex]\frac{120}{(3R_{arm}) + 3(3R_{wet\,contact}) + R_{trunk}}[/latex]
= [latex]\frac{120}{950}[/latex]
= 126 mA

This current level would cause severe shock in both boys. The boy outside the pool could experience heart failure.

Question 9.19: Two boys are playing basketball in their backyard. To cool o...

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