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What does 460 Hz sound like?
460 Hz is a low midrange frequency. It sits in the low midrange: a rounded, full tone in the region of male and female speaking voices and the lower notes of a piano.
A 460 Hz sound wave completes 460 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.17 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 74.6 cm (2.45 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.22 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 460 Hz is 23 cents below A♯4 (466.16 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 920 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 230 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 460 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 74.6 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.22 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.26 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.19 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 12.96 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 12.26 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 460 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 460 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Chinchillas, Elephants, Bottlenose dolphins, Chickens, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna
Cannot hear it
Instruments and voices that can play 460 Hz
- Piano (88 keys)
- Guitar (standard tuning)
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Harp
- Flute
- Clarinet (B♭, sounding)
- Oboe
- Bassoon
- Alto saxophone (sounding)
- Tenor saxophone (sounding)
- Trumpet (B♭, sounding)
- French horn (sounding)
- Trombone
- Tenor voice
- Alto voice
- Mezzo-soprano voice
- Soprano voice
Frequently asked questions
What does 460 Hz sound like?
It sits in the low midrange: a rounded, full tone in the region of male and female speaking voices and the lower notes of a piano.
Can humans hear 460 Hz?
Yes. 460 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 460 Hz?
460 Hz is 23 cents below A♯4, which is 466.16 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 460 Hz?
About 74.6 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.22 m in water.
Can dogs hear 460 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.