Frequency Converter
Convert radio frequencies between Hz, kHz, MHz and GHz and calculate wavelength.
About Frequency Converter
Frequency units differ only by powers of 1000 (Hz, kHz, MHz, GHz), so converting between them is a simple multiplication or division. Wavelength is derived from frequency using the universal relation wavelength = speed_of_light / frequency, which for radio waves traveling through air/vacuum uses c ≈ 299,792,458 m/s. Higher frequencies have proportionally shorter wavelengths — 2.4 GHz WiFi has a wavelength of about 12.5 cm, while 5 GHz WiFi's wavelength is about half that, around 6 cm.
Formula
Wavelength from frequency
wavelength = speed_of_light / frequency
- c
- Speed of light, 299,792,458 m/s
- f
- Frequency in Hz
Worked example
With the default values below, Frequency Converter returns Wavelength of 0.124914. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Frequency Valueminimum 0
- 2.4
- Input Unitone of Hz, kHz, MHz, GHz
- GHz
Results
- GHz
- 2.400000000000
- MHz
- 2,400.000000000
- kHz
- 2,400,000.000000
- Hz
- 2,400,000,000
- Wavelength
- 0.124914 m
- Wavelength
- 12.4914 cm
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Wavelength from frequency
- 3Wavelength= 0.124914 m
- 4GHz= 2.400000000000
- 5MHz= 2,400.000000000
- 6kHz= 2,400,000.000000
- 7Hz= 2,400,000,000
- 8Wavelength= 12.4914 cm
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or fees or charges into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 12 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does wavelength matter for wireless networking?
Wavelength determines antenna size (efficient antennas are typically a fraction or multiple of the wavelength) and affects how signals interact with obstacles — shorter wavelengths (higher frequencies) are more easily blocked by small objects and penetrate walls less effectively than longer wavelengths.
What is the wavelength of 2.4GHz WiFi?
2.4 GHz has a wavelength of about 12.5 cm (299,792,458 / 2,400,000,000 ≈ 0.1249 m), roughly the width of a hand.
Why is 5GHz WiFi range shorter than 2.4GHz at the same power?
5GHz's shorter wavelength (~6 cm vs ~12.5 cm) attenuates faster over distance and is blocked more easily by walls and obstacles, a direct physical consequence of its higher frequency — see the WiFi Coverage calculator for the quantified path-loss relationship.
Does this conversion apply to all types of waves?
The wavelength formula (λ = c/f) applies specifically to electromagnetic waves traveling at the speed of light (radio, microwave, light). Sound waves travel much slower and use a different speed constant, so this calculator is intended for RF/wireless use cases.