386 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 386 Hz Wavelength?

A 386 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 0.89 meters, 88.92 cm, 2.92 feet (2 feet and 11.01 inches) or 35.01 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 = 386 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 0.89 meters, or 2.92 feet.

386 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 386 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 386 Hz wavelength (cm)386 Hz wavelength (in)
-40-4079.296031.2189
-35-3180.141831.5519
-30-2280.978731.8814
-25-1381.807032.2075
-20-482.627132.5304
-15583.439132.8500
-101484.243333.1666
-52385.039833.4803
03285.829033.7910
54186.611034.0988
105087.386034.4039
155988.154234.7064
206888.915735.0062
257789.670835.3035
308690.419535.5982
359591.162235.8906
4010491.898836.1806

386 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 386 Hz sound wave is 0.44 meters, 44.46 cm, 1.46 feet (1 feet and 5.5 inches) or 17.5 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 386 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 386 Hz wavelength = 0.89 meters, or 2.92 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

386 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.441.46
20.892.92
31.334.38
41.785.83
52.227.29

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

Given the relatively small 386 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 386 Hz To ms

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

Because a 386 Hz wave will ocillate 386 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 = 386 Hz

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

1 / 386 Hz * 1000 = 2.59 ms.