I just purchased a little halogen spotlight lamp with an Class II transformer that converts 110v-120V to 11.5V. When I put my ears about a 12 inches from the transformer near the wall outlet, I hear a little buzzing or humming noise. Is this normal or is there something wrong?
electric powered Engineers call the vibration of a transformer sixty-cycle hum, and is popular. All electrical energy interior the country is generated at 60 cycles in line with 2d, and because transformers have windings, they'll buzz or hum. different countries generate at 50 cycles in line with 2d. the better the transformer, often the louder they'll hum. i admire music, and the overtones or harmonics of 60-cycle hum will continuously supply a hum it is between a B-flat and B-organic. The B-flat it is two octaves under midsection-C on a piano vibrates at fifty 8.27 cycles in line with 2d. The B-organic 2 octaves under midsection-C on a piano vibrates at sixty one.72 cycles in line with 2d. The hum of the transformer you pay attention maximum in all probability will dominate at a bigger overtone, or harmonic. 60 cycle hum x 2 a hundred and twenty cps B-flat 116.fifty 4 cps (that's the B-flat on the 2d line from the backside of the bass clef). B-organic 123.40 seven cps 60 cycle hum x 4 240 cps B-flat 233.08 cps (that's the B-flat slightly below midsection-C on the piano). B-organic 246.ninety 4 cps I actually have a pal who's has been blind all his existence, and is a lot extra conscious and mushy to sounds. He tells me that he can stay in some shops like Wal-mart for purely see you later using fact the hum from the lights (that have ballasts or transformers) will at last get on his nerves. I even have been conventional to harmonize or sing a song with the transformers in super substations, that are a lot louder.
A transformer creates a magnetic field that varies at the rate of the line voltage (60 or 50 cycles per second). If there is something in that field that is magnetic, it will be pushed back and forth at that rate, and if it can move, it will create a buzzing sound. Almost all transformers produce a little bit of sound, because the core is made up of layers of magnetic material that are glued together. It's not anything to worry about, just a nuisance.