Preventing earbud electrical shock through ears, revisited
After experiencing the electrical shock in my earbuds (which hurts like crazy) quite a few times, I noticed something very consistent:
It appears that if the iPhone is isolated from your body's electrical field, any difference in voltage between you and it will be corrected through its only contact with your bare skin... your ears.
Today the problem happened when I was standing next to my desk, taking my jacket off with my earbuds on. The iphone was sitting on the desk, and I continued to feel tiny aftershocks until I grabbed the iphone.
When the iphone is in your hand or in your pocket, the problem will not occur (in my experience). This is because the unit is close enough to your body for it to remain at the same potential. If you rub your feet on the carpet, the iPhone can absorb the voltage difference through your hand or pocket instead of through the earbuds. When the iPhone is on a different surface, you're in danger of a shock.
Has anyone else come to this same conclusion? Maybe some people who are better at physics can explain the phenomenon a little clearer than I have.
It appears that if the iPhone is isolated from your body's electrical field, any difference in voltage between you and it will be corrected through its only contact with your bare skin... your ears.
Today the problem happened when I was standing next to my desk, taking my jacket off with my earbuds on. The iphone was sitting on the desk, and I continued to feel tiny aftershocks until I grabbed the iphone.
When the iphone is in your hand or in your pocket, the problem will not occur (in my experience). This is because the unit is close enough to your body for it to remain at the same potential. If you rub your feet on the carpet, the iPhone can absorb the voltage difference through your hand or pocket instead of through the earbuds. When the iPhone is on a different surface, you're in danger of a shock.
Has anyone else come to this same conclusion? Maybe some people who are better at physics can explain the phenomenon a little clearer than I have.
Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.6)
