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Midrange · Frequency

520 Hz tone

Play a 520 Hz tone online, see what note it is, how long its wave is and which animals can hear it. It is a clear midrange tone, close to where the human ear does most of its work for speech and melody.

520.0Hz

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1.92 msPeriod (one cycle)
66.0 cmWavelength in air (20 °C)
C5-11¢Nearest note (A4 = 440 Hz)
YesAudible to humans

What does 520 Hz sound like?

520 Hz is a midrange frequency. It is a clear midrange tone, close to where the human ear does most of its work for speech and melody.

A 520 Hz sound wave completes 520 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 1.92 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 66.0 cm (2.16 ft) long; in water it stretches to 2.85 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.

Musically, 520 Hz is 11 cents below C5 (523.25 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 1,040 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 260 Hz lowers it by one.

Smoke alarms in sleeping areas for people with hearing loss use a 520 Hz low-frequency square-wave signal, which wakes sleepers more reliably than high-pitched beeps.

Wavelength of 520 Hz in different materials

MediumSpeed of soundWavelength
Air (20 °C)343 m/s66.0 cm
Fresh water1,481 m/s2.85 m
Seawater1,500 m/s2.88 m
Helium1,007 m/s1.94 m
Steel5,960 m/s11.46 m
Glass5,640 m/s10.85 m

Harmonics and octaves

Real instruments playing 520 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.

HarmonicFrequencyNearest note
1× (fundamental)520 HzC5
2×1.04 kHzC6
3×1.56 kHzG6
4×2.08 kHzC7
5×2.6 kHzE7
6×3.12 kHzG7
7×3.64 kHzA♯7
8×4.16 kHzC8

Which animals can hear 520 Hz?

Can hear it

Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Opossums, Chinchillas, Elephants, Bottlenose dolphins, Chickens, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna

Cannot hear it

Mice, Bats, Beluga whales, Greater wax moths

Instruments and voices that can play 520 Hz

Frequently asked questions

What does 520 Hz sound like?

It is a clear midrange tone, close to where the human ear does most of its work for speech and melody.

Can humans hear 520 Hz?

Yes. 520 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

What musical note is 520 Hz?

520 Hz is 11 cents below C5, which is 523.25 Hz in standard A440 tuning.

What is the wavelength of 520 Hz?

About 66.0 cm in air at 20 °C and 2.85 m in water.

Can dogs hear 520 Hz?

Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.