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What does 4,900 Hz sound like?
4,900 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 4,900 Hz sound wave completes 4,900 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 204 µs. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 7.0 cm (2.76 in) long; in water it stretches to 30.2 cm because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 4,900 Hz is 27 cents below D♯8 (4.978 kHz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 9,800 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 2,450 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 4,900 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 7.0 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 30.2 cm |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 30.6 cm |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 20.6 cm |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 1.22 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 1.15 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 4,900 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 4,900 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 4,900 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 4,900 Hz?
Yes. 4,900 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 4,900 Hz?
4,900 Hz is 27 cents below D♯8, which is 4.978 kHz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 4,900 Hz?
About 7.0 cm in air at 20 °C and 30.2 cm in water.
Can dogs hear 4,900 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.