1,020 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 1020 Hz Wavelength?

A 1020 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 0.34 meters, 33.65 cm, 1.1 feet (1 feet and 1.25 inches) or 13.25 inches when traveling in air at 20°C (68°F).

The formula for the wavelenght is λ = c/f where:

  • c is the celerity (speed) of sound = 343.21 m/s or 1126.03 ft/s in air at 20°C (68°F).
  • f is the frequency = 1020 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 0.34 meters, or 1.1 feet.

1020 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 1020 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 1020 Hz wavelength (cm)1020 Hz wavelength (in)
-40-4030.008111.8142
-35-3130.328211.9402
-30-2230.644912.0649
-25-1330.958312.1883
-20-431.268712.3105
-15531.576012.4315
-101431.880312.5513
-52332.181712.6700
03232.480412.7876
54132.776312.9041
105033.069613.0195
155933.360313.1340
206833.648513.2474
257733.934213.3599
308634.217613.4715
359534.498613.5821
4010434.777413.6919

1020 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 1020 Hz sound wave is 0.17 meters, 16.82 cm, 0.55 feet (0 feet and 6.62 inches) or 6.62 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 1020 Hz in rooms where two opposing walls (axial mode), edges (tangential mode) or corners (oblique mode) are spaced by a distance d = nλ/2 where:

  • n is a natural (positive integer greater than or equal to 1)
  • λ is the 1020 Hz wavelength = 0.34 meters, or 1.1 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

1020 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.170.55
20.341.10
30.501.66
40.672.21
50.842.76

We typically don't treat rooms for standing waves above 300 Hz.

Given the relatively small 1020 Hz half wavelength, you can treat your room by using thick acoustic foam. This will absorb frequencies as low as 250 Hz, and all the way up to 20,000 Hz.

How To Convert 1020 Hz To ms

A Hz (Hertz) is a cycle (or period) per second.

Because a 1020 Hz wave will ocillate 1020 times per second, we can find the time of a single cycle (or period) with the formula p = 1/f where:

  • f is the frequency of the wave = 1020 Hz

The result will be expressed in seconds, so let's multiply by 1000 to get miliseconds:

1 / 1020 Hz * 1000 = 0.98 ms.