[rescue] I'm not an EE Q - clarification

[Tim H.]

On 19 Jul 2002 08:58:18 +0100
Alex White <meltie at myrealbox.com> wrote:

> I have been told that shorting a car battery out this way will
> generate X-rays...?
> 
> Alex

I'm not sure where that comes from, X-rays are a high frequency
radiation, a car battery has a frequency of zero.  If you get an arcing
connection it actually is a high frequency make/break type thing and
will dump out a bunch of RF noise, as well as a decent amount of UV
light.  I don't know about X-rays. An actual solid short across a car
battery shouldn't emit anything but really serious IR, and if whatever
you short it with isn't seriously large, you'll get a small puddle of
molten metal.  A car battery can dump hundreds of amps through a dead
short, and hundreds of amps can melt a pretty big screwdriver. :-)