Just watched the die hard 4 movie. Ofcourse the whole city got knocked out and the hero had to get through it all. But I need to know. Does it make that thumping sound if electricity goes out for another block or city area. Same goes for lights going on in huge ass secret government storage facilities. Dang!!
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No, it’s silent. You notice the absence of sound when it happens. I think movies add a sound effect to make it more dramatic.
No, it’s silent. You notice the absence of sound when it happens. I think movies add a sound effect to make it more dramatic.
There are certain elements of the power grid that will change in sound when they are unpowered, but for the answer you are looking for is *no*. The sounds ‘made’ are just the constant sound of electrical elements (transformers, converters, anything exposed to a high AC current at 60 Hz will make a 60 Hz sound, which is a low droning noise most of us are used to ignoring) suddenly turning off.
So the ‘almost accurate Hollywood’ version of this effect involves suddenly increasing the previously ignored noise, and then focusing on it as the noise decreases or disappears. Often they’ll throw in a metallic click, something we’ve come to associate with a big switch being thrown, because that’s what we expect when we see the lights turn on/off.
No, it’s silent. You notice the absence of sound when it happens. I think movies add a sound effect to make it more dramatic.
There are certain elements of the power grid that will change in sound when they are unpowered, but for the answer you are looking for is *no*. The sounds ‘made’ are just the constant sound of electrical elements (transformers, converters, anything exposed to a high AC current at 60 Hz will make a 60 Hz sound, which is a low droning noise most of us are used to ignoring) suddenly turning off.
So the ‘almost accurate Hollywood’ version of this effect involves suddenly increasing the previously ignored noise, and then focusing on it as the noise decreases or disappears. Often they’ll throw in a metallic click, something we’ve come to associate with a big switch being thrown, because that’s what we expect when we see the lights turn on/off.
Does a neighbourhood make a thunk like in a movie? No, of course not. There might be a change in ambient noise as a lot of electrical devices you hear but tune out suddenly go silent.
Do some electrical devices make a thunk when powered/disconnected? Yes, some do. Most breakers make an audible clack when they break. Anything that has pumps creating pressure might thunk, due to expansion/contraction, water hammer etc. Or those lights you mentioned.
That iconic “clack” when big warehouse lights come on or off is a real thing in arc lamps which were commonly used.
There are certain elements of the power grid that will change in sound when they are unpowered, but for the answer you are looking for is *no*. The sounds ‘made’ are just the constant sound of electrical elements (transformers, converters, anything exposed to a high AC current at 60 Hz will make a 60 Hz sound, which is a low droning noise most of us are used to ignoring) suddenly turning off.
So the ‘almost accurate Hollywood’ version of this effect involves suddenly increasing the previously ignored noise, and then focusing on it as the noise decreases or disappears. Often they’ll throw in a metallic click, something we’ve come to associate with a big switch being thrown, because that’s what we expect when we see the lights turn on/off.
Does a neighbourhood make a thunk like in a movie? No, of course not. There might be a change in ambient noise as a lot of electrical devices you hear but tune out suddenly go silent.
Do some electrical devices make a thunk when powered/disconnected? Yes, some do. Most breakers make an audible clack when they break. Anything that has pumps creating pressure might thunk, due to expansion/contraction, water hammer etc. Or those lights you mentioned.
That iconic “clack” when big warehouse lights come on or off is a real thing in arc lamps which were commonly used.
Does a neighbourhood make a thunk like in a movie? No, of course not. There might be a change in ambient noise as a lot of electrical devices you hear but tune out suddenly go silent.
Do some electrical devices make a thunk when powered/disconnected? Yes, some do. Most breakers make an audible clack when they break. Anything that has pumps creating pressure might thunk, due to expansion/contraction, water hammer etc. Or those lights you mentioned.
That iconic “clack” when big warehouse lights come on or off is a real thing in arc lamps which were commonly used.
Nah, the most recent most widespread example is the great big US North East blackout of 2003. The computer in my office cubicle went out and we had to just walk down the stairs because the elevators had no power. Actually thinking about it now I’m glad I wasn’t in an elevator at that time
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