# Electricity changing frequency during wartime?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-changing-frequency-during-wartime/839560>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 1, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-changing-frequency-during-wartime/839560 "2019-09-01T17:05:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![vonespy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vonespy/32/6204_2.png) [@vonespy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vonespy)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-changing-frequency-during-wartime/839560/21 "2019-09-03T22:43:14Z")

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> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> The part of the Japanese power system built by the USA runs at 60 Hz, the part built in Europe runs at 50 Hz. When differing systems share power, they must alter the frequency.

Wow, that’s a lot more complex than it needs to be. The advent of switching power supplies for electronics has to have helped a bunch.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vonespy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vonespy/32/6204_2.png) [@vonespy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vonespy)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-changing-frequency-during-wartime/839560/22 "2019-09-03T22:45:03Z")

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> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#):
>
> …the voltage converter could just catch fire and go kablooey.

Or released the [magic smoke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_smoke)!

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