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What does 6,400 Hz sound like?
6,400 Hz is a brilliance (air) frequency. It is a very high, thin, whistling tone. Sensitivity in this region falls with age, so younger listeners hear it much more clearly than older ones.
A 6,400 Hz sound wave completes 6,400 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 156 µs. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 5.4 cm (2.11 in) long; in water it stretches to 23.1 cm because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 6,400 Hz is 35 cents above G8 (6.272 kHz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 12,800 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 3,200 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 6,400 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 5.4 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 23.1 cm |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 23.4 cm |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 15.7 cm |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 93.1 cm |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 88.1 cm |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 6,400 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 6,400 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 6,400 Hz sound like?
It is a very high, thin, whistling tone. Sensitivity in this region falls with age, so younger listeners hear it much more clearly than older ones.
Can humans hear 6,400 Hz?
Yes. 6,400 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 6,400 Hz?
6,400 Hz is 35 cents above G8, which is 6.272 kHz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 6,400 Hz?
About 5.4 cm in air at 20 °C and 23.1 cm in water.
Can dogs hear 6,400 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.