Electric Hot Dog (or find the weenie in this story)

Note: This certainly falls into the "Don't try this at home" category so . . .DON"T!

One of my favorite physics demonstrations is electrocuting a hot dog. You take a standard hot dog and shove a big nail into each end. This part is actually kind of hard to watch. Next you attach the dog to a death cord. This was our name for a simple lamp cord with a plug on one end and two alligator clips on the other. Not a really very safe thing to have lying about but we kept it stored away. . . usually. The idea now is to attach the alligator clips to the nails and plug 'er in and thus cook the hot dog. The dog will have several amps running through it and usually cooks in 20-30 seconds. I would bring buns and mustard (NO KETCHUP!) and allow some volunteers to eat the electrically cooked hot dog.

I had built a little stand for supporting the dog while it cooked but on this day I didn't have that stand. I didn't want to just lay the dog on the nasty table. What to do. . .? It's at this moment where I get a great idea and once I get a great idea I tend to run with it and not to consider any possible down sides. My great idea is to cook the hot dog in the bun which I could hold in my hand as surely the bun is an insulator and I can make the bonus point about insulators versus conductors. Brilliant!

So, in front of about 20 sophomore physics students I arrange the hot dog with nails and wires on to the bun. I hold the assembly in my left hand and plug 'er in with my right.

"SHIT!",

says the strangely vibrating teacher while dropping his dog to the floor.

Hot dog buns are NOT insulators. Who knew?

"What happened at school today dear?"
"Not much. Oh, Mr. Welty electrocuted himself and said poop."
"What? "
"Never mind."