ELI5; it’s not the volts that kill you, it’s the amps?

In my opinion volts alone isn't the best parameter to assess risk.

Its hard to predict risk of death from volts alone because as the title suggests: Its current that will ultimately cause your heart to stop/burns to occur.

If you go by power alone: You don't know anything about the system of amps:voltage. So limited information can be extracted.

If you go by voltage alone: You still don't know the risk to life as ultimately that is determined by amps. (As you have pointed out, you can have high voltage system that will hurt/impact but won't kill)

If you go by amps alone: You can estimate a biological effect and risk to your heart stopping... But you have to assume sufficient voltage.*

*If its low ampage: risk of death is low despite the number of volts/power.

**if its high amps: you know it may be deadly and should assume the system is capable of delivering the current.

/r/explainlikeimfive Thread Parent