Is the electric field in the human body zero?

[theBEAST]

According to Gauss, a closed conducting body will distribute the charge to the surface. Since the human body is a conductor does that mean the electric field in our body is zero?

 

[Mindscrape]

What makes you think the human body is a conductor??

 

[Antiphon]

Is a lot like a bag of salty water.

Yes, there is no net electric field. There are lots of local chemical potentials though. Nerve impulses etc.

 

[Mindscrape]

Hmm, okay, I guess I can believe it. At one point I knew some biology... not anymore.

 

[sardar]

I can confirm that the electric field in the human body is not necessarily zero. While it is true that a closed conducting body, such as the human body, will distribute the charge to the surface, this does not necessarily mean that the electric field within the body is zero. The distribution of charge on the surface of the body does not account for the electric field within the body, which can be affected by various factors such as nerve impulses and bioelectric currents.

Furthermore, the human body is not a perfect conductor and can have varying levels of resistivity in different areas. This means that the electric field within the body can vary and may not be zero in all cases.

In conclusion, while the Gauss' law holds true for closed conducting bodies, it does not necessarily mean that the electric field within the human body is zero. Further research and study is needed to fully understand the complexities of the electric field within the human body.