Quick answer: Frequency is the number of repeating cycles per second, measured in hertz. One kilohertz is 1000 Hz, one megahertz a million, one gigahertz a billion. Period and frequency are reciprocals: a 50 Hz mains supply repeats every 20 milliseconds. This converter also handles RPM, where 60 RPM equals 1 Hz.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Key facts
- 1 GHz = 1,000 MHz = 1,000,000,000 Hz. Each step up multiplies by 1,000.
- Concert pitch A4 is 440 Hz; middle C is about 261.63 Hz.
- Human hearing spans roughly 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
- 1 rpm = 1/60 Hz — revolutions per minute is a frequency too.
Radio stations, Wi-Fi, processor speeds and engine revs all quote frequencies — in Hz, kHz, MHz, GHz or rpm. This free frequency converter moves between them all instantly.
Enter a value and pick your units. Frequency is simply cycles per second, so converting is a clean powers-of-ten shift — with rpm folded in via 1 rpm = 1/60 Hz.
How to use
- Enter a value.
- Choose the from and to units.
- Read the answer and the full table of equivalents below.
How frequency conversion works
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| from-unit in Hz | Each unit’s definition in hertz (rpm ÷ 60 first). |
| to-unit in Hz | The target unit’s definition in hertz. |
Hertz means “cycles per second”. Kilo, mega and giga are the standard metric prefixes: ×1,000 each step.
Worked examples
Wireless tech
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi → MHz: 2.4 × 1,000 = 2,400 MHz.
101.5 MHz FM station → Hz: 101.5 × 1,000,000 = 101,500,000 Hz.
Sound and spin
Concert A 440 Hz → kHz: 440 ÷ 1,000 = 0.44 kHz.
3,000 rpm engine → Hz: 3,000 ÷ 60 = 50 Hz — the crankshaft turns 50 times per second.
Frequency units and landmarks
| Unit | Equals (Hz) | You meet it in |
|---|---|---|
| Hertz (Hz) | 1 | Sound, mains hum (50/60 Hz) |
| Kilohertz (kHz) | 1,000 | Audio range, AM radio |
| Megahertz (MHz) | 1,000,000 | FM radio, older CPUs |
| Gigahertz (GHz) | 1,000,000,000 | Wi-Fi, modern processors |
| rpm | 0.0167 | Engines, hard drives, turntables |
Landmarks: human hearing 20–20,000 Hz · concert A 440 Hz · FM band 88–108 MHz · Wi-Fi 2.4 / 5 GHz.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hz actually mean?
Hertz = cycles per second. 440 Hz means something vibrates 440 times each second — the A above middle C.
How do rpm convert to Hz?
Divide by 60: 3,000 rpm = 50 Hz. Multiply Hz by 60 to go back.
Why is FM radio in MHz?
FM stations broadcast at 88–108 million cycles per second — 88–108 MHz. AM radio is lower, around 0.5–1.7 MHz.
What frequencies can humans hear?
Roughly 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, shrinking with age — most adults top out well below 20 kHz.
Why are CPU speeds in GHz?
A 3 GHz processor ticks 3 billion cycles per second. (Clock speed isn’t everything — work per tick matters too.)
Sources
Key takeaways
- kHz → MHz → GHz: ×1,000 each step; 1 rpm = 1/60 Hz.
- 440 Hz = concert A; 20–20,000 Hz ≈ human hearing.
- FM 88–108 MHz, Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz — now you can read the dial.
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