Is it safe to touch exposed usb cables?

[FwelStars]

Would it be safe to touch the positive and negative wires while the usb cable is plugged in?

 

I stripped them for science.

[slashqpbyte]

with your fingers, yes, but don't touch the wires together. You would create a short and that's never good, you might destroy your wall adapter.

[MrFixitBlankFace]

No it will not be safe.  Since the cables are connected to the power brick and the power brick is connected to the power outlet and the power outlet is connected to and external ground or another source of electricity, the electrical charge in your body will not mix well with the electrical charge in your home's power.

[slashqpbyte]

3 minutes ago, FwelStars said:

Would it be safe to touch the positive and negative wires while the usb cable is plugged in?

 

I stripped them for science.

if your going to be doing stuff like that, get a fire extinguisher of science.

[Theguywhobea]

You wont feel 5V DC, so it's safe in that regard, but you could easily short the wires and possibly cause a fire in the brick.

[dgsddfgdfhgs]

3 minutes ago, FwelStars said:

Would it be safe to touch the positive and negative wires while the usb cable is plugged in?

 

I stripped them for science

what do you want to know?

 V=IR you will just produce heat, whether the plastics can handle it or not? thats the problem

[slashqpbyte]

Just now, Theguywhobea said:

You wont feel 5V DC, so it's safe in that regard, but you could easily short the wires and possibly cause a fire in the brick.

its not the voltage, its the current that kills, 500ma dc, your fine.

[RenaKry]

As long as you don't short them. I very much doubt you'll die from touching 5VDC. If you want to learn more about electricity, there are many resources on YouTube, namely ElectroBOOM, Afrotechmods, and some others.

[FwelStars]

Just now, nelsonpong said:

As long as you don't short them. I very much doubt you'll die from touching 5VDC. If you want to learn more about electricity, there are many resources on YouTube, namely ElectroBOOM, Afrotechmods, and some others.

I've see. Electroboom before. 

[FwelStars]

1 minute ago, slashqpbyte said:

its not the voltage, its the current that kills, 500ma dc, your fine.

Sorta true.

[RenaKry]

Just now, slashqpbyte said:

its not the voltage, its the current that kills, 500ma dc, your fine.

Please do not spread false information like that. Here is a video debunking that myth.

[Theguywhobea]

1 minute ago, slashqpbyte said:

its not the voltage, its the current that kills, 500ma dc, your fine.

Lol I didn't say it would kill him. I understand it's current that kills you, but even if a source can supply 500ma, 5V can't push hardly any current through your body.

[FwelStars]

5 minutes ago, slashqpbyte said:

with your fingers, yes, but don't touch the wires together. You would create a short and that's never good, you might destroy your wall adapter.

So as long as I don't touch the wires together, I should be safe from a fire or a breaker tripping.

[MrFixitBlankFace]

5 minutes ago, slashqpbyte said:

I stripped them for science.

You should have used an old cable.  Not one you still use

  I wrapped electrical tape around my exposed wires.

[RenaKry]

Just now, FwelStars said:

So as long as I don't touch the wires together, I should be safe from a fire or a breaker tripping.

The AC-to-DC adapter is incapable of tripping circuit breakers and would be the first point of failure in a dead short.

[TheElectronicGeek1]

4 minutes ago, slashqpbyte said:

its not the voltage, its the current that kills, 500ma dc, your fine.

Yes but the voltage pushes the current into you. If i touch leads from a 5v power supply and let it push 10 amps it won't because the resistance in my body is too high and less than 1ma will go through me. 

[FwelStars]

2 minutes ago, MrFixitBlankFace said:

You should have used an old cable.  Not one you still use

  I wrapped electrical tape around my exposed wires.

These are useless cords

[KarathKasun]

In can be safe and it can be unsafe.  Some wall warts do not isolate the ground from live AC voltage, and in some cases there can be phantom voltage (120-240VAC) on the ground side of your houses wiring.

[Required]

12 hours ago, KarathKasun said:

Some wall warts do not isolate the ground

I never saw any USB Charcher who is grounded.

[KarathKasun]

17 minutes ago, Required said:

I never saw any USB Charcher who is grounded.

AC always has a ground, a two connections are "live" and "ground" AKA "neutral".  The third connection is usually just tied to the same ground in the breaker box, or it goes to an independent earth ground.

[FwelStars]

13 hours ago, MrFixitBlankFace said:

No it will not be safe.  Since the cables are connected to the power brick and the power brick is connected to the power outlet and the power outlet is connected to and external ground or another source of electricity, the electrical charge in your body will not mix well with the electrical charge in your home's power.

Not exactly true.

[Required]

10 minutes ago, KarathKasun said:

The third connection is usually just tied to the same ground in the breaker box, or it goes to an independent earth ground.

Sure thats why all Power Plugs have just + and - Pins?!

The Pc/ Laptop Power Supply have a Ground.

[KarathKasun]

32 minutes ago, Required said:

Sure thats why all Power Plugs have just + and - Pins?!

The Pc/ Laptop Power Supply have a Ground.

+ and - are DC.  AC only has source (which is both + and -) and ground.

 

In commercial three phase there are three live connections and ground.  In two phase there are two live connections and ground.