516 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 516 Hz Wavelength?

A 516 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 0.67 meters, 66.51 cm, 2.18 feet (2 feet and 2.19 inches) or 26.19 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 = 516 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 0.67 meters, or 2.18 feet.

516 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 516 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 516 Hz wavelength (cm)516 Hz wavelength (in)
-40-4059.318323.3537
-35-3159.951023.6028
-30-2260.577123.8492
-25-1361.196724.0932
-20-461.810224.3347
-15562.417624.5739
-101463.019224.8107
-52363.615125.0453
03264.205425.2777
54164.790425.5080
105065.370125.7363
155965.944825.9625
206866.514526.1868
257767.079326.4092
308667.639426.6297
359568.195026.8484
4010468.746027.0653

516 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 516 Hz sound wave is 0.33 meters, 33.26 cm, 1.09 feet (1 feet and 1.09 inches) or 13.09 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 516 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 516 Hz wavelength = 0.67 meters, or 2.18 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

516 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.331.09
20.672.18
31.003.27
41.334.36
51.665.46

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

Given the relatively small 516 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 516 Hz To ms

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

Because a 516 Hz wave will ocillate 516 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 = 516 Hz

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

1 / 516 Hz * 1000 = 1.94 ms.