When electrons flow through us we get an electric shock. What would happen when protons flow through us?
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2$\begingroup$ Have a look at Proton Therapy - thats where medics use a particle accelerator to fire protons at people. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_therapy $\endgroup$– TomiCommented Mar 10, 2017 at 16:35
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1$\begingroup$ A sour taste pnas.org/content/107/51/21955.full.pdf $\endgroup$– Mitchell PorterCommented Mar 11, 2017 at 1:50
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2$\begingroup$ Possible duplicate of Accelerated charges $\endgroup$– user147979Commented Mar 11, 2017 at 2:48
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$\begingroup$ for an extreme case see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoli_Bugorski also my answer here physics.stackexchange.com/questions/316328/accelerated-charges/… $\endgroup$– anna vCommented Mar 11, 2017 at 7:34
1 Answer
Both of the comments above are right (sort-of).
The question needs to be refined. How is it possible for protons to flow through us? They don't flow the way electrons do in metals, but they do flow the way electrons do in ionic solutions like blood. So if we introduce protons into blood, what's that? Well, another name for proton is hydrogen-plus ion, which is what you get when an acid ionizes in water, which gives it a sour taste. How the protons get into your blood is a different question. They can't be deliverd by copper wires, the way electrons can.
Or protons can fly, if you launch them at very high speed, as can electrons. Depending on the speed, they can crash into you and bounce around and eventually stop or they can zing right through you and come out the other side. Neither of these situations is very good for you.
But the idea that electrons flow is from the context of free electrons in metals, which move under very small voltage differences. Protons don't move in metals. The closest you can get is H+ in water solution.