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What does 485 Hz sound like?
485 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 485 Hz sound wave completes 485 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.06 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 70.7 cm (2.32 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.05 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 485 Hz is 31 cents below B4 (493.88 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 970 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 242.5 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 485 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 70.7 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.05 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.09 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.08 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 12.29 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 11.63 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 485 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 485 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 485 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 485 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 485 Hz?
Yes. 485 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 485 Hz?
485 Hz is 31 cents below B4, which is 493.88 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 485 Hz?
About 70.7 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.05 m in water.
Can dogs hear 485 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.