What three factors determine the severity of an electrical shock?

• A. Voltage, current, and resistance
• B. Magnitude, duration, and path of the current through the body
• C. Temperature, humidity, and exposure
• D. Speed, direction, and frequency

Answer: (B)

The severity of an electrical shock comes from three things happening inside the body: how much current actually flows through you (the magnitude), how long that current keeps flowing (the duration), and the path it takes through your tissues (the route). The amount of current is what causes damage to nerves, muscles, and especially the heart; larger currents have the potential to cause more serious effects. If the current passes through critical areas like the chest, it can disrupt the heart’s rhythm, which is why the path matters. Time matters too—short shocks might be painful but less likely to cause lasting harm, whereas longer exposures increase the chance of burns, nerve damage, or heart-related injuries.

Voltage and resistance influence how much current could flow, but they don’t by themselves determine how severe a shock will be; environmental factors like temperature or humidity aren’t the main drivers of injury in the moment, and characteristics like speed or frequency don’t dictate the same level of risk to the body.