Wave Velocity Calculator — Speed, Frequency & Wavelength

Formula

How this is calculated

A wave’s speed (v) in a given medium is set by the physical properties of that medium — the stiffness and density for mechanical waves, or the permittivity and permeability for electromagnetic waves. Once you know v and the frequency f, every other wave quantity follows from first principles. Wavelength λ = v / f is the distance between successive crests; period T = 1 / f is the time for one complete cycle; angular frequency ω = 2πf expresses cycles in radians per second; and angular wavenumber k = 2π / λ is the spatial analogue of ω, telling you how many radians of phase accumulate per metre.

The preset speeds are standard textbook values at the stated temperatures. Real speeds vary with temperature, pressure, and material purity — for example sound in air rises roughly 0.6 m/s per °C, and sound in seawater depends on salinity and depth. For precise work, use the Custom speed option and enter a measured or tables value.

The calculator assumes a linear, non-dispersive medium where wave speed is constant across all frequencies. Dispersive media (glass for visible light, shallow water for ocean waves) break this assumption — wavelength and group velocity then both depend on frequency.