An electric shock has the capacity to induce ventricular fibrillation which can lead to heart failure and death. Avoiding any form of electric shock is preferable, but DC is considered safer in these circumstances as the human body’s threshold to DC is considerably higher than to AC.

110 volts vs. The most common electrical outlet in any home is a 110 volt. Sometimes you may hear 110 volt plugs referred to as 120 volt. Do not be confused by this; think of them as one and the same.

Today our electricity is still predominantly powered by alternating current, but computers, LEDs, solar cells and electric vehicles all run on DC power. And methods are now available for converting direct current to higher and lower voltages.

A.C. is said to be four to five times more dangerous than D.C. For one thing, A.C. causes more severe muscular contractions. For another, it stimulates sweating, which lowers the skin resistance. Along those lines, it is important to note that resistance goes down rapidly with continued contact.

Either AC or DC currents can cause fibrillation of the heart at high enough levels. This typically takes place at 30 mA of AC (rms, 60 Hz) or 300 – 500 mA of DC. Though both AC and DC currents and shock are lethal, more DC current is required to have the same effect as AC current.

220 volt a.c. means the effecitve or virtual value of a.c. is 220 volt, i.e., Ev=220 volt. But 220 volt d.c. has the same peak value (i.e., 220 volt only). Moreover, the shock of a.c. is attractive and that of d.c. is repulsive. Hence 220 volt a.c. is more dangerous than 220 volt d.c.

Peak value of 220V a.c. is root(2)*220 = 1.414*220V. This is because 220V is the r.m.s.

Why do we convert DC to AC? Many devices that we use need more power to function than DC can provide. They’re designed to operate on the 120-volt AC power supplied to homes in the U.S. AC power also works well at high voltages and can be increased by a transformer more easily than DC can.

Typically, either 110-volt AC (110V) or 220-volt AC (220V) is used. Most countries use 50Hz (50 Hertz or 50 cycles per second) as their AC frequency. Only a handful use 60Hz. The standard in the United States is 120V and 60Hz AC electricity.

Plugging a 220v device into a 110v outlet is not recommended. If you did, it’s highly likely that you’ll damage or destroy the appliance. If your device has no motor, then it’ll perform poorly, running on half the needed energy. If the device does have a motor, then the lower voltage can damage it.

This is a rating you see on switching AC->DC converters, that indicates that it can automatically work with 110V USA style AC power, or 240V that the rest of the world uses. It means so long as you can adapt the plug using a travel adapter, it will work anywhere in the world.

If you plug a 220V device into 110V outlet, it will normally last a little longer before it dies. But: An AC mechanical drive may fail to start, or it may take up more current than it is designed for, and eventually burn out. Connecting a 220 volt appliance to a 110 volt outlet can damage or destroy the appliance.

When comparing 110v with 220v wiring, you have remember they both essentially do the same thing. They supply power to electrical outlets. 220v wiring uses less current than 110v wiring. Power is measured in watts.

A quick answer: Probably nothing. This is a common misunderstanding about how electricity works and how the power companies charge you for it. The point often noted for the money saving argument is that the amperage is half as much when running grow lights on 220 volts instead of 110 volts.