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What does 250 Hz sound like?
250 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 250 Hz sound wave completes 250 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 4 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 1.37 m (4.50 ft) long; in water it stretches to 5.92 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 250 Hz is 21 cents above B3 (246.94 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 500 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 125 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 250 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 1.37 m |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 5.92 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 6.00 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 4.03 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 23.84 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 22.56 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 250 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 250 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, 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
Rabbits, Mice, Opossums, Bats, Beluga whales, Greater wax moths
Instruments and voices that can play 250 Hz
- Piano (88 keys)
- Guitar (standard tuning)
- Bass guitar (4-string)
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Double bass
- Harp
- Clarinet (B♭, sounding)
- Oboe
- Bassoon
- Alto saxophone (sounding)
- Tenor saxophone (sounding)
- Trumpet (B♭, sounding)
- French horn (sounding)
- Trombone
- Tuba
- Bass voice
- Baritone voice
- Tenor voice
- Alto voice
- Mezzo-soprano voice
Frequently asked questions
What does 250 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 250 Hz?
Yes. 250 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 250 Hz?
250 Hz is 21 cents above B3, which is 246.94 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 250 Hz?
About 1.37 m in air at 20 °C and 5.92 m in water.
Can dogs hear 250 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.