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What does 4,850 Hz sound like?
4,850 Hz is a presence frequency. It is a high, piercing whistle. The ear is still very sensitive here, so even quiet playback sounds loud.
A 4,850 Hz sound wave completes 4,850 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 206 µs. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 7.1 cm (2.78 in) long; in water it stretches to 30.5 cm because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 4,850 Hz is 45 cents below D♯8 (4.978 kHz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 9,700 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 2,425 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 4,850 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 7.1 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 30.5 cm |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 30.9 cm |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 20.8 cm |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 1.23 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 1.16 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 4,850 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 4,850 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Mice, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Opossums, Chinchillas, Bats, Elephants, Beluga whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Greater wax moths
Frequently asked questions
What does 4,850 Hz sound like?
It is a high, piercing whistle. The ear is still very sensitive here, so even quiet playback sounds loud.
Can humans hear 4,850 Hz?
Yes. 4,850 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 4,850 Hz?
4,850 Hz is 45 cents below D♯8, which is 4.978 kHz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 4,850 Hz?
About 7.1 cm in air at 20 °C and 30.5 cm in water.
Can dogs hear 4,850 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.