Lab
Acoustic Beating
When two tones of slightly different frequencies are played simultaneously, their waves interfere constructively and destructively in a repeating cycle. You hear a pulsing “beat” at the difference frequency. Adjust the two frequencies below to hear and see beating in action — the closer the frequencies, the slower the pulse.
Beat frequency
0 Hz
|f1 − f2|
Mean frequency
400 Hz
(f1 + f2) / 2
Beat period
—
1 / beat frequency
Status
Stopped
Audio engine
Audio
Frequencies
Frequency 1
400 Hz
Frequency 2
404 Hz
Display
Time window
50 ms
Volume
30%
Presets