1,550 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 1550 Hz Wavelength?

A 1550 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 0.22 meters, 22.14 cm, 0.73 feet (0 feet and 8.72 inches) or 8.72 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 = 1550 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 0.22 meters, or 0.73 feet.

1550 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 1550 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 1550 Hz wavelength (cm)1550 Hz wavelength (in)
-40-4019.74737.7745
-35-3119.95797.8574
-30-2220.16637.9395
-25-1320.37268.0207
-20-420.57688.1011
-15520.77908.1807
-101420.97938.2596
-52321.17778.3377
03221.37428.4150
54121.56898.4917
105021.76198.5677
155921.95328.6430
206822.14298.7177
257722.33098.7917
308622.51748.8651
359522.70238.9379
4010422.88589.0101

1550 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 1550 Hz sound wave is 0.11 meters, 11.07 cm, 0.36 feet (0 feet and 4.36 inches) or 4.36 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 1550 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 1550 Hz wavelength = 0.22 meters, or 0.73 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

1550 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.110.36
20.220.73
30.331.09
40.441.45
50.551.82

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

Given the relatively small 1550 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 1550 Hz To ms

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

Because a 1550 Hz wave will ocillate 1550 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 = 1550 Hz

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

1 / 1550 Hz * 1000 = 0.65 ms.