Pick what you want to calculate — Wave Velocity (v), Frequency (f), or Wavelength (λ) — then choose your medium and enter the two known values to get your result, including the corresponding period of the wave.
Result
--
Wavelength
--
Frequency
--
Velocity
--
Period
--
Frequency and wavelength are inversely proportional. As frequency increases, wavelength decreases, and vice versa. This relationship is described by the equation λ = v/f, where v is the wave velocity.
Wavelength is measured in units of distance, typically meters (m). For different types of waves, you might see nanometers (nm) for visible light, micrometers (μm) for infrared, or centimeters (cm) for microwaves.
Wavelength is the distance between two identical points on a wave, such as from crest to crest or trough to trough. It can be measured directly using instruments or calculated using the formula λ = v/f when velocity and frequency are known.
When light travels through different mediums, its velocity changes but frequency remains constant. This causes the wavelength to change according to the refractive index of the medium. Light travels slower in denser mediums like water or glass.
For electromagnetic radiation, energy is related to wavelength by E = hc/λ, where h is Planck's constant (6.626 × 10⁻³⁴ J⋅s), c is the speed of light, and λ is wavelength. Shorter wavelengths correspond to higher energy.
Light in vacuum travels at 299,792,458 m/s, light in air at about 299,700,000 m/s, light in water at 224,901,000 m/s, and sound in air at 20°C travels at 343 m/s. Radio waves travel at the speed of light in their respective mediums.