All I know is I'd rather be shocked by 120 VAC compared to 120 VDC.
60 Htz means that the AC current returns to zero 120 time each second!
DC... just keeps on burning ... full bore.
Good topic!
I don't think so. Not at all.
1st, if that is 120vac, it is probably 120v RMS AC, which means that the area under the current curve over time is the same as for 120v DC.
2nd, 120v AC is probably 120v RMS AC, which means that it is 170v AC peak-to-peak, so, the current spikes will be higher, even if the average is the same.
3rd, the physiological effects of the alternating current are such that it it is more likely to introduce muscle spasms, sweating, and arrhythmia. The sweating could make the shock worse. The muscle spasms could expose other hazards. And the arrhythmia, well, that's how one dies.
4th, although there isn't a huge difference between 120vdc and the 170v peak of 120v RMS, there is a difference, so the AC can arc across a greater air gap to get to you.
5th, although it doesn't matter much for 60hz and 120v, the body actually has capacitance, so AC can shock you even when you aren't grounded. DC can never do that. For the curious, a simple model is considered to be 100pF capacitor in series with a 1.50kΩ resistor, which is used to make touch sensors work.
I'd be careful when playing with either sparky or arc!
Just my 2 cents.
-Greg