What Causes the ‘Hum’ of a Fan?

A fan makes a hum because its motor is vibrating. When electricity flows through the wires, it makes the motor spin, and that spinning creates a sound we hear as a hum. It's like when you shake a bell, the faster you shake it, the louder it rings.

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Examples

  1. Your fan makes a soft hum when it's running because its motor is working hard.
  2. A broken fan may make an even louder hum if the parts inside are misaligned or loose.
  3. Fans in old buildings often have a deeper, more rumbling hum than new ones.

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Categories: Physics · sound· vibration· electricity