Can the 9 volt lick test kill you?

singlemalt · #1 10-11-2011, 09:45 PM

I went to parent teacher conferences today and my son's robotics teacher had some circuit stuff on the table: a nice multi tester, some caps, circuit boards, and a couple 9 volt batteries.

I got busy right off messing with the multi tester and the parts. I just let my wife do the talking while I tested the 9 volts to see which read hotter and then see if I could tell the difference with the "lick test". (I couldn't, really, but they were pretty close on the meter anyway.)

Anyway, the guy tells me at the end of the conference that maybe 32 people a year die from doing just what I was doing.

"Hey kid, don't put your tounge on that!"

We all do it, right? pull a battery out of the bottom of the bag hoping for a good one cause that favorite box just crapped out, and give it a lick to see if it's good? Jeez, I coulda been killed?!!

So I do a little web search, and of course, a Talkbass search: COOL! nothing on Talkbass, I've got a scoop!

Anyhow, here's a guy who did manage to kill himself with a 9 volt battery while messing with a multi tester: 1999 Darwin Award: Resistance is Futile

You can see just how close I came to buying the farm right there in the school gym at parent teacher conference. Good thing I didn't stick the probes deep into my thumbs to test my bodily resistance! Luckily they have those "break the glass in case of heart attack" de fib things on the wall.

The rest of the hype seems to be mostly urban myth, but has anybody here on TB killed themselves licking a 9 volt?

thobbinghotrod · #2 10-11-2011, 09:47 PM

If you sent a million people out to get the paper, 14 wouldn't return.

Just sayin

Josh Pelican · #3 10-11-2011, 09:49 PM

Well, that link says he didn't die from licking the battery! I think you'll be fine. Don't stick the probes in your skin.

MooseLumps · #4 10-11-2011, 09:53 PM

Wow! And in our overly litigious society, I'd figure the warning label would be on every battery by now.

Makes a certain kind of sense, seeing how battery operated tasers keeping killing people.

Marton · #5 10-11-2011, 10:03 PM

Absolutely not related, but read the "What's new pussycat?" story on the site, it's one of the stupidest thing I ever read.

Muaguana · #6 10-11-2011, 10:15 PM

Why would you put your tongue on something that could have been touched by dozens of other people's tongues (assuming all parents are like you)?

Anyway, just used my multimeter to test the resistance between two points on my tongue roughly the same distance apart as the positive and negative terminals on a typical 9V battery. Resistance measured to be approximately 1.05 mega ohms, meaning that if I were to place a battery with exactly 9V potential between its two terminals, a current of 8.57 micro-amperes (8.57*10^-6A) would pass through my tongue. I believe the lethal amount of DC current for heart fibrillation is around 100mA (IIRC, could be wrong), so it's no cause for concern.

Still, if other people did the same thing to those batteries... that's just gross.

trthorol · #7 10-11-2011, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muaguana

Resistance measured to be approximately 1.05 mega ohms, meaning that if I were to place a battery with exactly 9V potential between its two terminals, a current of 8.57 micro-amperes (8.57*10^-6A) would pass through my tongue. I believe the lethal amount of DC current for heart fibrillation is around 500mA (IIRC, could be wrong), so it's no cause for concern.

Not to mention the current is going to be flowing through your tongue not your body. I'd say the current definitely wont kill you. That doesnt mean germs or chemicals wouldnt.

cultrvultr · #8 10-11-2011, 11:28 PM

I've done this over a hundred times. Still here.

The batteries on the other hand, I got a One Spot and they went away.

Spectrum · #9 10-11-2011, 11:39 PM

Wimps. Try it with a car battery. Only 3 more volts, what ya 'fraid of?

vin*tone · #10 10-11-2011, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by singlemalt

..has anybody here on TB killed themselves licking a 9 volt?

Yes.

I got better.

boomertech · #11 10-11-2011, 11:50 PM

Don't put your spare 9V battery in your pants pocket with change!

***OUCH!!***

-Frank

walterw · #12 10-12-2011, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by singlemalt

Anyhow, here's a guy who did manage to kill himself with a 9 volt battery while messing with a multi tester: 1999 Darwin Award: Resistance is Futile

i still don't believe it.

it would imply that touching the test leads to each other (producing a dead short) would cause the battery in that meter to go full-blast, creating its max current (and getting hot and dying quickly). i have a hard time believing a meter would use so much of its available current just to measure resistance.

walterw · #13 10-12-2011, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomertech

Don't put your spare 9V battery in your pants pocket with change!

***OUCH!!***

-Frank

oh yeah!

and to the techs out there, don't just throw those "dead" 7-8V 9V batteries in the trash can, especially if there's steel wool tossed in there too. steel wool + 9V battery = instant firestarter! (classic boy scout trick).

tape them puppies over before tossing them.

anonymous122511 · #14 10-12-2011, 12:30 AM

The only way to kill yourself putting a 9V battery near your mouth is to choke on it.

awakefie · #15 10-12-2011, 12:37 AM

I can honestly say the thought of licking a battery to test it has never crossed my mind.

sillyfabe · #16 10-12-2011, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff arddun

The only way to kill yourself putting a 9V battery near your mouth is to choke on it.

that

aidanmay · #17 10-12-2011, 01:04 AM

Does anyone know if it'd affect a pacemaker or medical condition?

Infidelity · #18 10-12-2011, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff arddun

The only way to kill yourself putting a 9V battery near your mouth is to choke on it.

QFT!

Woodsbass · #19 10-12-2011, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

i still don't believe it.

it would imply that touching the test leads to each other (producing a dead short) would cause the battery in that meter to go full-blast, creating its max current (and getting hot and dying quickly). i have a hard time believing a meter would use so much of its available current just to measure resistance.

Actually, by putting the probes deep into his thumbs, the current would then have a direct path through his heart (at 565 mA of current, 5x the lethal amount) blood has such low resistance that he basically created a "dead" short (pardon the pun!)

Zooberwerx · #20 10-12-2011, 04:43 AM

If a 9 v cell will kick and sustain all 8 drivers in an SVT 810 cab, the lick test will undoubtedly kill you dead-on-the-spot. Aside from drug abuse, this is the second-leading killer amongst young musicians...

...and I don't know what the %&*# I'm talking about.

Riis