If an electrician's hands are wet while operating a 120-volt corded drill, which statement is true?

If an electrician's hands are wet while operating a 120-volt corded drill, which statement is true?

• A. Body resistance is substantially decreased, and severe shock could occur.
• B. The drill will automatically shut off.
• C. Voltage drops to zero.
• D. There is no hazard.

Answer: (A)

Touching a live tool with wet hands changes the amount of current that can flow through your body. The key idea is that moisture dramatically lowers the body's electrical resistance. With 120 volts in play, a lower resistance means more current can pass through you, which raises the risk of a severe shock. This is why wet conditions are a real hazard around corded power tools. Ohm’s law helps explain why: current equals voltage divided by resistance. If your body’s resistance drops from a high dry value to a much lower wet value, the current increases correspondingly. That increased current can overwhelm nerves and the heart, making a dangerous shock more likely. The other statements don’t fit because the tool won’t automatically shut off just because your hands are wet, the supply voltage won’t suddenly drop to zero, and there is indeed a hazard present.

Touching a live tool with wet hands changes the amount of current that can flow through your body. The key idea is that moisture dramatically lowers the body's electrical resistance. With 120 volts in play, a lower resistance means more current can pass through you, which raises the risk of a severe shock. This is why wet conditions are a real hazard around corded power tools.

Ohm’s law helps explain why: current equals voltage divided by resistance. If your body’s resistance drops from a high dry value to a much lower wet value, the current increases correspondingly. That increased current can overwhelm nerves and the heart, making a dangerous shock more likely.

The other statements don’t fit because the tool won’t automatically shut off just because your hands are wet, the supply voltage won’t suddenly drop to zero, and there is indeed a hazard present.