285 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 285 Hz Wavelength?

A 285 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 1.2 meters, 120.43 cm, 3.95 feet (3 feet and 11.41 inches) or 47.41 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 = 285 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 1.2 meters, or 3.95 feet.

285 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 285 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 285 Hz wavelength (m)285 Hz wavelength (ft)
-40-401.07403.5235
-35-311.08543.5611
-30-221.09683.5983
-25-131.10803.6351
-20-41.11913.6716
-1551.13013.7076
-10141.14103.7434
-5231.15183.7788
0321.16253.8138
5411.17303.8486
10501.18353.8830
15591.19393.9172
20681.20433.9510
25771.21453.9845
30861.22464.0178
35951.23474.0508
401041.24474.0835

285 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 285 Hz sound wave is 0.6 meters, 60.21 cm, 1.98 feet (1 feet and 11.71 inches) or 23.71 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 285 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 285 Hz wavelength = 1.2 meters, or 3.95 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

285 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.601.98
21.203.95
31.815.93
42.417.90
53.019.88
63.6111.85
74.2113.83
84.8215.80
95.4217.78
106.0219.75
116.6221.73
127.2323.71
137.8325.68
148.4327.66
159.0329.63
169.6331.61
1710.2433.58
1810.8435.56
1911.4437.53
2012.0439.51
2112.6441.49
2213.2543.46
2313.8545.44
2414.4547.41
2515.0549.39

Given the relatively large 285 Hz half wavelength, standing waves will occur at that frequency in small listening rooms.

You can try to minimze the room modes at 285 Hz by trying different speaker positions, listening positions or by placing bass traps. These can absorb frequencies as low as 63 Hz.

How To Convert 285 Hz To ms

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

Because a 285 Hz wave will ocillate 285 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 = 285 Hz

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

1 / 285 Hz * 1000 = 3.51 ms.