On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:54:15 +0100, Owain
wrote:

Adrian wrote:
Even the Americans can't electocute instantly, with 100% certainty,
people who have been sentanced to death by electric chair.
Yebbut they only use 110v.

Up to around 3000v DC off a local generator IIRC (thus the dimming of
the prison lights as seen in many films is a load of old cobblers).
There was a DC v AC competition involving the public killing of an
elephant in the early days of deciding the "best" way to fry people;
prior to that Thomas Edison "perfected" his AC system by killing
numerous cats and dogs in experiments :-
http://www.ccadp.org/electricchair.htm

Don't they have 220V outlets for washing machines

Two opposite phases on a 110-0-110 (180deg) supply IIRC except for one
state (Vermont?) which has (or had ?) "real" 240v in some or all of
it.

and electric chairs?