3,420 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 3420 Hz Wavelength?

A 3420 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 0.1 meters, 10.04 cm, 0.33 feet (0 feet and 3.95 inches) or 3.95 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 = 3420 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 0.1 meters, or 0.33 feet.

3420 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 3420 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 3420 Hz wavelength (cm)3420 Hz wavelength (in)
-40-408.94983.5235
-35-319.04523.5611
-30-229.13973.5983
-25-139.23323.6351
-20-49.32573.6716
-1559.41743.7076
-10149.50823.7434
-5239.59813.7788
0329.68713.8138
5419.77543.8486
10509.86293.8830
15599.94963.9172
206810.03553.9510
257710.12073.9845
308610.20524.0178
359510.28914.0508
4010410.37224.0835

3420 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 3420 Hz sound wave is 0.05 meters, 5.02 cm, 0.16 feet (0 feet and 1.98 inches) or 1.98 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 3420 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 3420 Hz wavelength = 0.1 meters, or 0.33 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

3420 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.050.16
20.100.33
30.150.49
40.200.66
50.250.82

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

Given the relatively small 3420 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 3420 Hz To ms

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

Because a 3420 Hz wave will ocillate 3420 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 = 3420 Hz

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

1 / 3420 Hz * 1000 = 0.29 ms.