385 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 385 Hz Wavelength?

A 385 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 0.89 meters, 89.15 cm, 2.92 feet (2 feet and 11.1 inches) or 35.1 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 = 385 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 0.89 meters, or 2.92 feet.

385 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 385 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 385 Hz wavelength (cm)385 Hz wavelength (in)
-40-4079.502031.3000
-35-3180.349931.6338
-30-2281.189031.9642
-25-1382.019532.2912
-20-482.841732.6148
-15583.655832.9354
-101484.462133.2528
-52385.260733.5672
03286.051933.8787
54186.836034.1874
105087.613034.4933
155988.383134.7965
206889.146735.0971
257789.903735.3952
308690.654435.6907
359591.398935.9838
4010492.137536.2746

385 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 385 Hz sound wave is 0.45 meters, 44.57 cm, 1.46 feet (1 feet and 5.55 inches) or 17.55 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 385 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 385 Hz wavelength = 0.89 meters, or 2.92 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

385 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.451.46
20.892.92
31.344.39
41.785.85
52.237.31

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

Given the relatively small 385 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 385 Hz To ms

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

Because a 385 Hz wave will ocillate 385 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 = 385 Hz

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

1 / 385 Hz * 1000 = 2.6 ms.