Question

Is it safe for the electrician to carry out electrical repairs outdoors during heavy downpour?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Maybe
D. Cannot say

Answer 1

Hint: Think about the conductivity of electricity. Recall the data of electrical conductivity of rainwater. Also think about the voltage and current flowing in the wires.

Complete answer:
Rainwater is not always pure. It may contain impurities. These impurities make water a potential conductor of electricity. A heavy downpour is said to occur when there is a heavy rainfall. During a heavy rainfall all the outdoor electrical equipment like overhead cables, wires, electric poles and others are all wet.

And rainwater is a conductor of electricity. In this case an electrician working outdoors has a high risk of getting electrical shock in case some faults occur. The voltage in the wires outside is very high. Thus coming in contact with these may even prove fatal.Thus it is not safe for the electrician to carry out electrical repairs outdoors during heavy downpour.

Hence option (D) is correct.

Note:Pure water also known as distilled water is a bad conductor of electricity. It can only be chemically prepared. The water available around us can conduct some amount of electricity. The more the impurities the better it will be a conductor of electricity. We ourselves should not touch any electrical devices using wet hands. It may give us a shock. Also we should use rubber apparatus while handling wires, electrical connections and other such electrical devices.