If you see a spark, can it hurt you?

[Ryugbt]

I had the computer on, like an idiot. I was messing with my LED strip because i wanted to see if it was working. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and readjusted it. one of the times i did it. It made a visible spark and shocked my left hand a bit. It didn't hurt too bad but i'm paranoid. Could that do any damage to me? It was a bitfenix alchemy 2.0 strip. Wattage (W): 3.6

 

[anbello262]

What voltage does it run on?
Is it connected through the PSU?

There's practically no way it can hurt you. If it's a led strip, it must be running on 12V from the PSU, and that voltage won't hurt you. It will just sting a bit.

 

[Ralston18]

Unlikely that it did any damage to you. Electrical shock damage depends on many factors.....

Body tends to react very quickly to electrical shocks and that is what saves people in many cases.

However, if you have physical damage: a burn, lingering numbness, or anything unusual with respect to your left hand, arm, etc.. then see your doctor.

Everyone is different and you may have circumstances or other conditions that causes after effects.

Not a doctor here so this is not to be considered medical advice in any way. Just a common sense response and suggestion.

 

[JQB45]

It probably didn't do any damage to you other then a moments discomfort. But don't do that while your computer is on, a mild shock is nothing compared to the shock of the cost of replacing failed system components.

The worst shock I ever had was 7000 volts from a lawnmower spark plug wire. I was adjusting it and my brother pulled the starter cord. Arm was numb for about 5 minutes, not to mention the initial intense pain. But it caused no long term damage to me.

 

[Flyfisherman]

You really didn't get hurt at all, except for the pain - even it it was indeed from the electrical wall outlet of 110 or 230V.
As long as it was just to one arm and the other one including your feet was not attaching anything.
The current cannot go via the arms or legs to the hart, only via the exposed body limbl say from left arm to the right foot connected to ground (whis is the most dangerous path, since it will pass the hart).
Two arms or hands is the second most dangerous, if one is unlucky the current can go though the hart.
Only one hand it is not an immediate danger for the hart, but it will give some pain.

• 
  But it also depends of the time that one has been attached or exposed to such a thing.

But I will stress that any electric chock can be letal!

However, I suspect that what you perhaps discovering was an electrostatic discharge?
Please see this thread for more info: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-3114496/grounding-whil-building.html
Best regards from Sweden

 

[Ryugbt]

What voltage does it run on?
Is it connected through the PSU?

There's practically no way it can hurt you. If it's a led strip, it must be running on 12V from the PSU, and that voltage won't hurt you. It will just sting a bit.

Yes, it is running through the PSU. it's this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438027

 

[Ryugbt]

Electrostatic discharge when i seen a visible shock though?

 

[anbello262]

I don't think it was an electrostatic discharge.
It was just a small voltage spike caused by the PSU inductance, which increases voltage for a very short time, but can have a very low maximum current.
Still, no way it can hurt you.

As someone said above, the most painful part would be damaging your PC.


My explanations are quite simplified, and of course there are exceptions and extreme cases. If you stick 12v under your skin ON BOTH hands, one terminal on each, creating an electric circuit through your heart that ignores your skin resistance, you might get fibrillation. But that's not even worth mentioning here, as it is completely unrelated to your particular case.

 

[Ryugbt]

Thanks for the quick responses boys. It was dumb of me. I won't be doing that anymore, that's for sure.

 

[Flyfisherman]

 

[JQB45]

@Flyfisherman - LOL.

 

[Ralston18]

@JQB45 - with respect to the lawn mower: I feel your pain. Ditto + wet grass.

And there are probably people wondering what is a "starter cord". That alone is a series of memories.....