Of laptops and power cords......

[Ravenshire]

If the power-jack on the computer got pried by the cord at impact, it be acting intermittently or inefficiently. Couple that with an outlet that for some reason isn't putting out 117 VAC, it might not charge ... in that jack.

Most of our electronics can handle anything from 110V to 130V, 55-65 Hz. Our electric grid is al over the place and it's the only way to make certain everything will run, wherever you are. A wonky outlet <110V simply won't do anything. The built in safety circuits will simply not let the equipment run. If it's >130, the safety circuitry should do the same thing, but it's more prone to failing catastrophically.