Question
Which of the following is a safety hazard of a 12-volt storage battery?
Answer Options
- A) Touching both terminals with the hands can cause electrical shock
- B) Shorting the terminals can cause burns, fire, or an explosion
- C) RF emissions from a nearby transmitter can cause the electrolyte to emit poison gas
- D) All these choices are correct
Correct Answer: B
Explanation
Even though a 12-volt battery is low voltage, it stores a tremendous amount of energy and can deliver a very high current in a short circuit. If you accidentally connect the positive and negative terminals with a wrench or other metal object, the massive current will rapidly generate intense heat, which can cause severe burns, start a fire, or even cause the battery to rupture and explode.
Direct contact with both terminals using your hands will not typically cause a dangerous electrical shock because the voltage is too low to drive enough current through the high resistance of human skin. However, the shorting hazard is very real, which is why handling car or amateur radio batteries requires great care to avoid creating a short circuit.
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