501 Hz Wavelength

How Long Is a 501 Hz Wavelength?

A 501 Hz sound wave has a wavelength of 0.69 meters, 68.51 cm, 2.25 feet (2 feet and 2.97 inches) or 26.97 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 = 501 Hz
which gives a wavelength λ of 0.69 meters, or 2.25 feet.

501 Hz Wavelength Depending on Temperature

The speed of sound in air depends on temperature. Here is how the wavelenght of a 501 Hz sound wave will vary according to temperature:

Temp (°C) Temp (°F) 501 Hz wavelength (cm)501 Hz wavelength (in)
-40-4061.094324.0529
-35-3161.745924.3094
-30-2262.390824.5633
-25-1363.029024.8146
-20-463.660825.0633
-15564.286425.3096
-101464.906025.5535
-52365.519725.7952
03266.127726.0345
54166.730226.2717
105067.327326.5068
155967.919226.7398
206868.505926.9708
257769.087727.1999
308669.664627.4270
359570.236727.6523
4010470.804227.8757

501 Hz Half Wavelength and Standing Waves

The half wavelength of a 501 Hz sound wave is 0.34 meters, 34.25 cm, 1.12 feet (1 feet and 1.49 inches) or 13.49 inches when travelling in air at 20°C (68°F).

Modes (or standing waves) will occur at 501 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 501 Hz wavelength = 0.69 meters, or 2.25 feet in air at 20°C (68°F).

501 Hz Standing Waves Distances

n Distance (m) Distance (ft)
10.341.12
20.692.25
31.033.37
41.374.50
51.715.62

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

Given the relatively small 501 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 501 Hz To ms

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

Because a 501 Hz wave will ocillate 501 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 = 501 Hz

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

1 / 501 Hz * 1000 = 2 ms.