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Show: Mythbusters
Network: Discovery Channel
Episode Title: Water Stun Gun
Original Air Date: September 17, 2008
On this episode of Mythbusters, Adam and Jamie investigate a secret agent myth – that you can turn a conventional electric stun gun into a water-powered electric stun gun.
Question: Can you create a stun gun that effectively delivers a shock over distances via a stream of water?
RESULTS: busted
Testing: The Mythbusters tested various commercial water guns to see if they could create a steady, unbroken stream of water, which is essential for the conduction of electricity. None of them achieved this, so the MythBusters built their own custom water gun and attached a commercial stun gun to provide the electricity.
They tested the amount of electricity a stream of water could deliver to a target, and discovered that the voltage dropped significantly as distance to the target increased, making the gun impractical to use at long distances and busting the myth. In order to see what it would take to have a water stun gun work at a distance, the Mythbusters used a tesla coil to power the gun with up to a million volts.
The gun worked at a distance, and the lightning bolt could clearly be seen traveling down the stream of water. However,
