Wave / Frequency Visualizer

What is a wave calculator?

Waves are disturbances that transfer energy through a medium (or through space, in the case of electromagnetic waves). The three fundamental wave properties are frequency (f, in hertz), wavelength (lambda, in meters), and wave speed (v, in meters per second). They are related by the equation: v = f * lambda. If you know any two, you can calculate the third.

This relationship applies to all types of waves: sound waves, light waves, water waves, radio waves, and seismic waves. The wave speed depends on the medium — sound travels at about 343 m/s in air but 1,480 m/s in water. Light travels at approximately 300,000,000 m/s in vacuum.

Wave properties

• Frequency: How many complete cycles pass a point per second. Measured in hertz (Hz). Human hearing: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
• Wavelength: The distance between two consecutive identical points on a wave (like crest to crest). Ranges from picometers (gamma rays) to kilometers (radio waves).
• Amplitude: The maximum displacement from the rest position. Determines the wave's energy and intensity (loudness for sound, brightness for light).
• Period: The time for one complete cycle. T = 1/f. A 440 Hz sound wave (concert A) has a period of about 2.27 milliseconds.

How to use this tool

Enter any two of frequency, wavelength, and wave speed. The calculator solves for the third and also shows the period. For electromagnetic waves, the speed defaults to the speed of light. For sound waves, select the medium (air, water, steel) to use the appropriate speed.

The electromagnetic spectrum

Electromagnetic waves span an enormous range of frequencies: radio waves (below 300 GHz), microwaves (300 MHz to 300 GHz), infrared (300 GHz to 400 THz), visible light (400-790 THz), ultraviolet (790 THz to 30 PHz), X-rays (30 PHz to 30 EHz), and gamma rays (above 30 EHz). All travel at the speed of light in vacuum but have vastly different wavelengths and properties.

Frequently asked questions

Why does sound travel faster in water than in air?

Sound is a mechanical wave — it travels by particles pushing on neighboring particles. Water molecules are much closer together and more tightly bound than air molecules, so the push transfers more quickly. In general, sound travels fastest in solids (steel: 5,960 m/s), slower in liquids (water: 1,480 m/s), and slowest in gases (air: 343 m/s).

What is the Doppler effect?

The Doppler effect is the change in observed frequency when the source and observer are moving relative to each other. An approaching ambulance siren sounds higher-pitched (compressed wavelength, higher frequency) and a receding one sounds lower-pitched (stretched wavelength, lower frequency). The same effect applies to light — approaching objects appear blue-shifted, receding objects red-shifted.