12500 Hz
Treble (4–20 kHz) · G9
Turn the volume down before you play. A pure tone is harder on the ears than music at the same level.
Standard band
A centre frequency of the standard one-third-octave bands used in noise measurement and speaker work.
| Wavelength | 2.7 cm |
|---|---|
| Period | 80 µs |
| Nearest note | G9 |
| Off by | -6 cents |
| Audible | Yes |
| Harmonics | 25000 Hz · 37500 Hz · 50000 Hz |
| One octave down | 6250 Hz |
| One octave up | 25000 Hz |
How to read this
- Hertz counts how many times the air vibrates per second. The bigger the number, the higher the pitch.
- Wavelength is the speed of sound (343 m/s at 20 °C) divided by the frequency. That makes 20 Hz seventeen metres long and 20 kHz under two centimetres.
- People hear roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but the upper limit drops with age. Past about 15 kHz, some hear the tone and some do not.
- Hearing nothing does not mean the equipment is broken. Small speakers cannot reach the low notes, and for the high ones it is the ear that gives up first.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does 12500 Hz sound like?
It is a pure tone vibrating 12500 times a second. It falls inside the range people hear, and the nearest musical note is G9.
Q. What is the wavelength of 12500 Hz?
2.7 cm in air. Sound travels 343 metres per second through 20 °C air, so the wavelength is that distance divided by 12500.
Q. What note is 12500 Hz?
The nearest note is G9, and it is 6 cents flat. A semitone is 100 cents, so that is about 6% of a semitone away.
Q. I cannot hear 12500 Hz — is something wrong?
This band is comfortable for most equipment and most ears, so check the volume and the output device first.
Q. What are the harmonics of 12500 Hz?
The whole-number multiples: 25000 Hz, 37500 Hz, 50000 Hz. An octave up is double, 25000 Hz; an octave down is half, 6250 Hz.
Nearby frequencies
Frequency doubles for every octave, so closeness is measured in ratios, not differences.