Frequency Reference Sheet
Conversions
Metric (SI)
- 1 hertz (Hz) = 1 cycle/s
- 1 kilohertz (kHz) = 1,000 Hz
- 1 megahertz (MHz) = 1,000,000 Hz
- 1 gigahertz (GHz) = 1,000,000,000 Hz
- 1 terahertz (THz) = 10¹² Hz
Related non-SI units
- 1 revolution per second (rps) = 1 Hz
- 1 revolution per minute (rpm) = 1/60 Hz
- 1 rad/s = Hz × 2π (1 rad/s ≈ 0.1591549431 Hz)
Non-SI → SI
- 3 rps = 3 Hz
- 1,800 rpm = 30 Hz
- 10 rad/s ≈ 1.591549431 Hz
SI → Non-SI
- 60 Hz = 1,800 rpm
- 50 Hz ≈ 314.159 rad/s
- 2 Hz = 2 rps = 120 rpm
Quick benchmarks
- Mains electricity: 50/60 Hz
- Concert A (A4): 440 Hz
- Human hearing: ~20 Hz–20 kHz
- FM broadcast: 88–108 MHz
- Wi-Fi: 2.4/5/6 GHz
- Modern CPUs: ~1–5 GHz
Table: factors to hertz (Hz)
| Unit |
Symbol |
Factor → Hz |
| Hertz |
Hz |
1 |
| Kilohertz |
kHz |
1,000 |
| Megahertz |
MHz |
1,000,000 |
| Gigahertz |
GHz |
1,000,000,000 |
| Terahertz |
THz |
1,000,000,000,000 |
| Revolutions per second |
rps |
1 |
| Revolutions per minute |
rpm |
0.01666666667 |
| Radians per second |
rad/s |
0.1591549431 |