can I get zapped touching my dc bare wiring?

[Hummina Shadeeba]

taking your words

"Current divides based on the impedance ratio of the paths available. Current will flow in all complete paths that have a voltage differential."


current will take any possible circuitous path to get from one pole to the other, meaning anything that is able to become a conductor will be part of that path. If you were to touch a penny on an exposed dc wire with current going through, the complete penny would be filled with current as every pathway would be used to ultimately get current from even one side of a tiny spot to the other opposite spot on something as small as a 1mm contact patch. No? Similarly if the voltage and frequency were high enough it could be a complete human body with a 1mm contact patch

 

[Hummina Shadeeba]

in the probe situation it would be like putting both probes on the bare wire very close to one another. there would be a voltage across those two spots. very small but none the less there.

 

[Alan B]

You need to calculate the actual voltages and currents. If they are small enough you will not feel it, there will be no perceptible shock. The current flow path will be primarily across the one finger, Current elsewhere in the body will be significantly smaller.

The current thresholds for shocks and fibrillation are documented. Currents much smaller won't be shocking.

https://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~p616/safety/fatal_current.html