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What does 10,000 Hz sound like?
10,000 Hz is a brilliance (air) frequency. It is a very high, thin, whistling tone. Sensitivity in this region falls with age, so younger listeners hear it much more clearly than older ones.
A 10,000 Hz sound wave completes 10,000 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 100 µs. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 3.4 cm (1.35 in) long; in water it stretches to 14.8 cm because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Wavelength of 10,000 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 3.4 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 14.8 cm |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 15.0 cm |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 10.1 cm |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 59.6 cm |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 56.4 cm |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 10,000 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 10,000 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Mice, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Opossums, Chinchillas, Bats, Elephants, Beluga whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Owls, Greater wax moths
Cannot hear it
Chickens, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna
Frequently asked questions
What does 10,000 Hz sound like?
It is a very high, thin, whistling tone. Sensitivity in this region falls with age, so younger listeners hear it much more clearly than older ones.
Can humans hear 10,000 Hz?
Yes. 10,000 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 10,000 Hz?
10,000 Hz is 8 cents above D♯9, which is 9.956 kHz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 10,000 Hz?
About 3.4 cm in air at 20 °C and 14.8 cm in water.
Can dogs hear 10,000 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.