On stage an electric circuit is built: Starting with an mp3 player, a cable is lead to a metal pole and from here through a chain of volunteers. The current flows further into an active speaker and through a long cable back to the mp3 player. When all the volunteers hold hand, music can be clearly heard. It is instantly muted, when 2 persons break the chain of hands.
How does this work?
Our bodies are made up of about 60% of water. As our body also contains a high amount of salts, it becomes an electric conductor. The body, between the right and the left hand, has a relatively small resistance of “only” 100 Ohms. The conductivity is hence sufficient to lead the music signal without disturbance through a body to make it audible with a small amplifier.
Safety reference:
This experiment has no health risk whatsoever as we work with a voltage of 1-2 volt, which is completely harmless.
