Wave Calculator

Wave speed is calculated as frequency times wavelength. This basic formula applies to all waves, including sound, light, and electromagnetic waves.

Enter the frequency (Hz) and wavelength (m) to calculate the wave speed (m/s). Often used in acoustics and communications engineering.

For example, a sound with a frequency of 440 Hz and a wavelength of 0.78 m travels at about 343 m/s, close to the speed of sound at room temperature.

Wave Calculator Calculation Method

v: speed (m/s), f: frequency (Hz), λ: wavelength (m)

The speed (m/s) is 0 .

About This Calculator

Wave speed is how fast a crest travels through a medium, and it equals frequency multiplied by wavelength. The relationship holds for sound, water waves, seismic waves and electromagnetic radiation alike.

Enter the frequency in hertz and the wavelength in metres to calculate the wave speed in metres per second.

A wave travels at the product of its frequency and wavelength, so a 440 Hz tone in air at 343 m/s has a wavelength of 0.78 m. Sound, light and radio all obey the same relation. Sound travels at about 1,480 m/s in water, which is why whales communicate over far greater distances than they could in air.

Key Formula:v = f × λ

Frequently Asked Questions

How are frequency and wavelength related?

They are inversely proportional when speed is fixed: double the frequency and the wavelength halves. Radio stations use this — an 88.5 MHz signal has a wavelength of about 3.4 metres.

What is the speed of light?

Electromagnetic waves travel at 299,792,458 m/s in a vacuum, rounded to 3 × 10⁸ m/s. When light enters glass or water it slows down, which is what refracts it and creates rainbows.

What happens to wavelength when frequency doubles?

In a given medium the speed is fixed, so doubling the frequency halves the wavelength. That is exactly how an organ pipe plays a higher note: a shorter wavelength at the same sound speed.

Does wave speed depend on frequency?

Not in a non-dispersive medium; light in vacuum travels at the same speed at every frequency. In glass and water the speed varies slightly with frequency, which is what separates white light into a spectrum in a prism.

Related Calculators

Sources & last update

2026-10-19