Hertz to Wavelength Converter

What is Wavelength?

Wavelength is the distance between successive crests (or troughs) of a wave. It's inversely proportional to frequency - higher frequencies have shorter wavelengths, and lower frequencies have longer wavelengths.

Wave Speed and Medium

The speed at which a wave travels depends on the medium it's traveling through:

• Electromagnetic waves (light, radio): Travel fastest in vacuum at approximately 299,792,458 m/s (speed of light). They slow down in denser media like water or glass.
• Sound waves: Require a material medium and travel at approximately 343 m/s in air at 20°C. Sound travels faster in denser materials like water (~1,480 m/s) or steel (~5,960 m/s).

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Different frequency ranges of electromagnetic waves have different names and properties:

• Radio waves: 3 kHz to 300 GHz (wavelengths from 100 km to 1 mm)
• Microwaves: 300 MHz to 300 GHz (wavelengths from 1 m to 1 mm)
• Infrared: 300 GHz to 430 THz (wavelengths from 1 mm to 700 nm)
• Visible light: 430 THz to 770 THz (wavelengths from 700 nm to 390 nm)
• Ultraviolet: 770 THz to 30 PHz (wavelengths from 390 nm to 10 nm)

Practical Applications

• Antenna design: Antennas are typically designed to be a fraction of the wavelength they're transmitting or receiving
• Music and acoustics: Understanding wavelengths helps in room acoustics and speaker placement
• Optics: Wavelength determines the color of light and affects how light interacts with materials
• Radio communication: Different wavelengths have different propagation characteristics and are used for different purposes