381 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 381 Hz Wavelength?

A 381 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 0.9 meters, 90.08 cm, 2.96 feet (2 feet and 11.47 inches) or 35.47 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 = 381 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 0.9 meters, or 2.96 feet.

381 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 381 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 381 Hz wavelength (cm)381 Hz wavelength (in)
-40-4080.336631.6286
-35-3181.193531.9659
-30-2282.041432.2998
-25-1382.880632.6302
-20-483.711432.9573
-15584.534133.2811
-101485.348833.6019
-52386.155833.9196
03286.955434.2344
54187.747634.5463
105088.532834.8554
155989.311035.1618
206890.082635.4656
257790.847635.7668
308691.606236.0654
359592.358536.3616
4010493.104836.6554

381 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 381 Hz sound wave is 0.45 meters, 45.04 cm, 1.48 feet (1 feet and 5.73 inches) or 17.73 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 381 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 381 Hz wavelength = 0.9 meters, or 2.96 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

381 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.451.48
20.902.96
31.354.43
41.805.91
52.257.39

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

Given the relatively small 381 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 381 Hz To ms

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

Because a 381 Hz wave will ocillate 381 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 = 381 Hz

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

1 / 381 Hz * 1000 = 2.62 ms.