Start with your device volume low. Very low tones may be inaudible on phone or laptop speakers; very high tones can be uncomfortable on headphones.
What does 480 Hz sound like?
480 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 480 Hz sound wave completes 480 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.08 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 71.5 cm (2.34 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.09 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 480 Hz is 49 cents below B4 (493.88 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 960 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 240 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 480 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 71.5 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.09 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.12 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.10 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 12.42 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 11.75 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 480 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 480 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 480 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 480 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 480 Hz?
Yes. 480 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 480 Hz?
480 Hz is 49 cents below B4, which is 493.88 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 480 Hz?
About 71.5 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.09 m in water.
Can dogs hear 480 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.