Have you ever wondered why birds sitting on power lines don’t get electrocuted? Electricity can be very dangerous. We’re always told as children to stay away from electric wires and plug sockets, but how are birds able to sit on electricity wires without getting a shock?
Electricity (or current) travels from the point of highest potential to lowest potential. As both of the bird’s feet are on the same wire, there is no difference in potential between them. Besides, the bird offers greater resistance to the electricity passing through it than the power cable, so the electricity will travel through the power cable.
As long as the birds don’t touch anything else, such as the ground or another power cable, they will continue to sit up there, watching us, trying to spot worms for their breakfast!
