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Why do people have such trouble understanding the difference between amperage and voltage and amp-hours? I have seen many statements in sailing related communications that are incorrect in this understanding.
Batteries are dangerous only in the amount of heat they can release. 12v or even 24v will not send enough current through the body (except in very unusual situations) to be dangerous. However a wrench dropped on battery terminals can generate enough molten metal to pose a danger. Be especially careful of wearing rings (e.g. wedding rings) while working on batteries, they can cause you to lose a finger.
The most intuitive analogy is to water in a hose. Pressure is akin to Voltage. Amount of water flowing in a second is analogous to current (amperage). The total volume of water that flows out is analogous to amp-hours.
The thing that melts metals is the large amount of current that batteries can release. The energy is released at a rate of volts x amps (= watts). With a high amperage the energy is released very rapidly resulting in flying, burning metal (sparks) and molten metal.
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