1,600 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 1600 Hz Wavelength?

A 1600 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 0.21 meters, 21.45 cm, 0.7 feet (0 feet and 8.45 inches) or 8.45 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 = 1600 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 0.21 meters, or 0.7 feet.

1600 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 1600 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 1600 Hz wavelength (cm)1600 Hz wavelength (in)
-40-4019.13027.5316
-35-3119.33427.6119
-30-2219.53617.6914
-25-1319.73597.7701
-20-419.93387.8479
-15520.12977.9251
-101420.32378.0015
-52320.51598.0771
03220.70638.1521
54120.89498.2263
105021.08198.2999
155921.26728.3729
206821.45098.4452
257721.63318.5170
308621.81378.5881
359521.99298.6586
4010422.17068.7286

1600 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 1600 Hz sound wave is 0.11 meters, 10.73 cm, 0.35 feet (0 feet and 4.22 inches) or 4.22 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 1600 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 1600 Hz wavelength = 0.21 meters, or 0.7 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

1600 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.110.35
20.210.70
30.321.06
40.431.41
50.541.76

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

Given the relatively small 1600 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 1600 Hz To ms

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

Because a 1600 Hz wave will ocillate 1600 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 = 1600 Hz

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

1 / 1600 Hz * 1000 = 0.63 ms.