Which condition yields the highest resistance to electricity?

Which condition yields the highest resistance to electricity?

• A. Wet skin
• B. Normal dry skin
• C. Thin skin
• D. Thick and/or dry skin

Answer: (D)

Electrical resistance through the body depends mainly on the skin, which is the first barrier current must pass. The outer layer, the stratum corneum, is inherently resistive, and its impedance changes with moisture and thickness. When skin is dry and thick, this barrier becomes very tough to penetrate: the distance the current must travel increases and the surface impedance is high, so the overall resistance is at its greatest. Wet skin, in contrast, conducts better because moisture provides ions that carry the current, lowering the barrier and reducing resistance. Thin skin presents a shorter path with less barrier impedance, so the resistance is lower than thick, dry skin. Thus, the condition that yields the highest resistance is thick and/or dry skin.

Electrical resistance through the body depends mainly on the skin, which is the first barrier current must pass. The outer layer, the stratum corneum, is inherently resistive, and its impedance changes with moisture and thickness. When skin is dry and thick, this barrier becomes very tough to penetrate: the distance the current must travel increases and the surface impedance is high, so the overall resistance is at its greatest. Wet skin, in contrast, conducts better because moisture provides ions that carry the current, lowering the barrier and reducing resistance. Thin skin presents a shorter path with less barrier impedance, so the resistance is lower than thick, dry skin. Thus, the condition that yields the highest resistance is thick and/or dry skin.