Eli5: What does the frequency (Hz) have to do with electrical output? If the world has 50/60 Hz frequency for their outlets, what exactly does that mean/do? Is it as simple as if it goes below/exceeds the specified frequency it just gives/reduces power output or something different?
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Most of the power in the electrical lines is made by generators, which are big wheels being spun around, and as they spin, they use magnets to create electricity. Because of the spinning, this electricity also goes up and down, at a rate related to the speed of the turbine. If you were to put a voltmeter between the two sockets of your power outlet, you would see a wave that goes up and down 50 or 60 times a second (tip: don’t do this, it could be dangerous, especially in a country with 220V power).
For the most part, this frequency doesn’t *do* anything, it’s just an property of the electricity.
If it were to go above or below the frequency, it **would** impart a slightly different amount of energy, but mostly what it would do is damage electronics. Most consumer electronics wouldn’t mind much (and you can see this is things like cell phone chargers that work at 50Hz **or** 60Hz, or light bulbs, or…), but all the transformers and stuff along the way carrying thousands of volts and thousands of amps are more finely tuned, and can take damage if the frequency drifts too much. High-power house appliances like washing machines and dryers could also be problematic.
Most power systems call for the frequency to be maintained to within 1% Hz – so from 49.5-50.5 Hz or 59.4-60.6 Hz. What precisely causes the frequency to drift is actually incredibly interesting and somewhat beyond ELI5 range, but basically, when there’s more demand than supply, the frequency goes down, and when there’s more supply than demand, it goes up – but it’s the difference in supply and demand that changes the frequency, not the frequency changing anything.
tl;dr if the frequency drifts too much, it can break stuff, but otherwise it’s mostly just a standard
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