Sound Wavelength Calculator
Calculate sound wavelength from frequency and medium speed of sound.
Results
Sound wavelength determines how sound interacts with objects and spaces. A 440 Hz tone (A above middle C) has a wavelength of about 78 cm in air - roughly the width of a doorway. Low frequencies have long wavelengths that bend around obstacles, while high frequencies with short wavelengths are easily blocked. This is why bass passes through walls but treble does not.
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Frequently asked questions
Wavelength = 343 / 440 = 0.7795 m (77.95 cm). This is the standard tuning pitch A4, used as the reference for tuning musical instruments.
Low frequencies have long wavelengths. A 50 Hz bass note has a 6.86 m wavelength - much larger than wall thickness. Waves much larger than obstacles bend around them. High frequencies (short wavelengths) are absorbed or reflected.
Human hearing spans 20 Hz to 20 kHz. In air, that is 17.15 m (20 Hz) to 1.715 cm (20 kHz). Concert hall acoustics must handle this 1000:1 wavelength range.
Air: 343 m/s, water: 1480 m/s (4.3× faster), steel: 5960 m/s (17.4× faster). Sound travels faster in denser, stiffer materials. A 440 Hz tone in water has a wavelength of 3.36 m.
Sound speed in air increases about 0.6 m/s per °C. At 0°C it is 331 m/s, at 20°C it is 343 m/s, at 40°C it is 355 m/s. A 440 Hz tone at 0°C has wavelength 75.2 cm vs 78.0 cm at 20°C.