How this calculator works
A travelling sound wave advances one wavelength during each period. Frequency is set by the source while wavelength changes when propagation speed changes. Reference speeds are rounded textbook values, not specifications for every specimen. For solids, wave type and geometry matter; use custom speed when the reference does not describe your experiment. The spatial graph uses a normalized wavelength and arbitrary pressure amplitude.
Formula
lambda = c/f; f = c/lambda; c = f lambda; period T = 1/f.
Worked example
At 340 m/s, a 1000 Hz tone has wavelength 0.34 m. A 0.5 m wave in water travelling at 1500 m/s has frequency 3000 Hz.
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Frequently asked questions
Does a higher pitch have a shorter wavelength?
Yes, at a fixed sound speed wavelength decreases as frequency increases.
Does wavelength change at a boundary?
Usually. Frequency stays continuous while wavelength adjusts to the new propagation speed.
Are the solid presets exact?
No. Elastic constants, temperature, direction and whether the wave is guided affect the result.