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What does 490 Hz sound like?
490 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 490 Hz sound wave completes 490 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.04 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 70.0 cm (2.30 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.02 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 490 Hz is 14 cents below B4 (493.88 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 980 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 245 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 490 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 70.0 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.02 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.06 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.06 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 12.16 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 11.51 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 490 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 490 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 490 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 490 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 490 Hz?
Yes. 490 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 490 Hz?
490 Hz is 14 cents below B4, which is 493.88 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 490 Hz?
About 70.0 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.02 m in water.
Can dogs hear 490 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.