Loading Calculator...
Please wait a moment
Please wait a moment
Convert between hertz (Hz) and kilohertz (kHz) instantly with our easy-to-use frequency converter.
Hertz to Kilohertz:
kHz = Hz ÷ 1000
Kilohertz to Hertz:
Hz = kHz × 1000
| Hertz (Hz) | Kilohertz (kHz) |
|---|---|
| 1 Hz | 0.001 kHz |
| 10 Hz | 0.01 kHz |
| 50 Hz | 0.05 kHz |
| 60 Hz | 0.06 kHz |
| 100 Hz | 0.1 kHz |
| 500 Hz | 0.5 kHz |
| 1,000 Hz | 1 kHz |
| 5,000 Hz | 5 kHz |
| 10,000 Hz | 10 kHz |
| 20,000 Hz | 20 kHz |
| 50,000 Hz | 50 kHz |
| 100,000 Hz | 100 kHz |
Hertz (Hz) is the SI unit of frequency, named after German physicist Heinrich Hertz. One hertz represents one cycle per second. It measures how many times a periodic event occurs in one second. Hertz is used to measure sound waves, electromagnetic waves, electrical signals, and mechanical vibrations. Common examples include the 50 Hz or 60 Hz frequency of household electrical power, and the audio frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz that humans can hear.
Kilohertz (kHz) is a unit of frequency equal to 1,000 hertz. The prefix "kilo" means thousand, making kilohertz particularly useful when dealing with higher frequencies that would be cumbersome to express in hertz alone. Kilohertz is commonly used in radio communications, audio engineering, and computer clock speeds. For example, AM radio broadcasts in the range of 530 kHz to 1,700 kHz, and many older computers had processors running at speeds measured in kilohertz.
Converting hertz to kilohertz is straightforward - simply divide the hertz value by 1,000:
Example: Convert 5,000 Hz to kHz
5,000 Hz ÷ 1,000 = 5 kHz
There are exactly 1,000 hertz in one kilohertz. The prefix "kilo" always means 1,000 in the metric system, so 1 kHz = 1,000 Hz.
Use kilohertz when dealing with frequencies above 1,000 Hz to make numbers more manageable. For example, it's easier to say "15 kHz" than "15,000 Hz." In audio and radio applications, kilohertz is the standard unit for frequencies in this range.
AM radio broadcasts in the medium wave band, typically from 530 kHz to 1,700 kHz in North America (530,000 Hz to 1,700,000 Hz). Different countries may use slightly different ranges, but most AM radio falls within this kilohertz range.
44.1 kHz (44,100 Hz) is the standard sample rate for CD-quality audio. According to the Nyquist theorem, to accurately reproduce a signal, you need to sample at more than twice the highest frequency you want to capture. Since human hearing extends to about 20 kHz, sampling at 44.1 kHz ensures all audible frequencies are captured.
In music, frequency in hertz determines the pitch of a note. The standard tuning note A4 (middle A) is 440 Hz or 0.44 kHz. Each octave higher doubles the frequency, so A5 is 880 Hz (0.88 kHz) and A6 is 1,760 Hz (1.76 kHz). Lower notes have proportionally lower frequencies.
WiFi actually operates at much higher frequencies measured in gigahertz (GHz), not hertz or kilohertz. However, WiFi channels have bandwidths measured in megahertz (MHz) or thousands of kilohertz. For example, a 20 MHz WiFi channel is 20,000 kHz or 20,000,000 Hz wide.