Sound Wavelength Calculator
Calculate sound wavelength in meters and cm from frequency and medium.
Covers speed in air (343 m/s), water, steel, and wood with a note frequency table.
Sound wavelength is the physical distance between two consecutive peaks (or compressions) of a sound wave. It determines many acoustic properties including how sound interacts with objects and rooms.
The formula:
Wavelength = Speed of Sound / Frequency
lambda = v / f
Speed of sound in different media:
| Medium | Speed |
|---|---|
| Air at 20C (68F) | 343 m/s (1,125 ft/s) |
| Air at 0C (32F) | 331 m/s (1,086 ft/s) |
| Water at 25C (77F) | 1,497 m/s (4,911 ft/s) |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s (19,554 ft/s) |
| Wood (oak) | 3,850 m/s (12,631 ft/s) |
Temperature correction for air:
Speed = 331.3 + (0.606 x Temperature in Celsius) m/s
Example wavelengths in air at 20C:
- 20 Hz (lowest audible): 17.15 m (56.3 ft)
- 440 Hz (concert A note): 0.78 m (2.56 ft)
- 1,000 Hz: 0.343 m (1.13 ft)
- 4,000 Hz (speech clarity range): 0.086 m (3.4 inches)
- 20,000 Hz (highest audible): 0.017 m (0.67 inches)
Why wavelength matters:
- Room acoustics: sound interacts with surfaces based on wavelength vs surface size.
- Speaker design: driver size relates to the wavelengths it can reproduce effectively.
- Noise barriers: must be larger than the wavelength to block sound effectively.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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