20 Hz corresponds to a period of 50,000 microseconds.
Table of Contents
Frequency in hertz (Hz) measures how many cycles happen in one second. To get the time duration of one cycle in microseconds, you divide one second (converted to microseconds) by the frequency value in hertz.
Conversion Tool
Result in microseconds:
Conversion Formula
The formula to convert frequency in hertz (Hz) to time period in microseconds (μs) is:
Time period (μs) = (1 / Frequency in Hz) × 1,000,000
This works because frequency is the number of cycles per second, so the inverse (1/frequency) is the duration of one cycle in seconds. Multiplying by 1,000,000 converts seconds to microseconds (since 1 second = 1,000,000 microseconds).
Example calculation for 20 Hz:
- Calculate reciprocal: 1 / 20 = 0.05 seconds
- Convert seconds to microseconds: 0.05 × 1,000,000 = 50,000 μs
Conversion Example
- For 5 Hz:
- 1 / 5 = 0.2 seconds
- 0.2 × 1,000,000 = 200,000 microseconds
- For 10 Hz:
- 1 / 10 = 0.1 seconds
- 0.1 × 1,000,000 = 100,000 microseconds
- For 50 Hz:
- 1 / 50 = 0.02 seconds
- 0.02 × 1,000,000 = 20,000 microseconds
- For 100 Hz:
- 1 / 100 = 0.01 seconds
- 0.01 × 1,000,000 = 10,000 microseconds
- For 0.5 Hz:
- 1 / 0.5 = 2 seconds
- 2 × 1,000,000 = 2,000,000 microseconds
Conversion Chart
The chart below shows the conversion of frequencies from -5.0 Hz to 45.0 Hz into microseconds. Negative frequencies don’t have physical meaning in this context but included for reference. To use the chart, find the frequency value in the left column and read across to see the equivalent time period in microseconds.
| Frequency (Hz) | Time Period (μs) |
|---|---|
| -5.0 | Undefined (negative frequency) |
| -4.0 | Undefined (negative frequency) |
| -3.0 | Undefined (negative frequency) |
| -2.0 | Undefined (negative frequency) |
| -1.0 | Undefined (negative frequency) |
| 0.0 | Undefined (division by zero) |
| 1.0 | 1,000,000 |
| 5.0 | 200,000 |
| 10.0 | 100,000 |
| 15.0 | 66,666.67 |
| 20.0 | 50,000 |
| 25.0 | 40,000 |
| 30.0 | 33,333.33 |
| 35.0 | 28,571.43 |
| 40.0 | 25,000 |
| 45.0 | 22,222.22 |
Related Conversion Questions
- How many microseconds is one cycle at 20 Hz frequency?
- What is the period in microseconds for a 20 Hz signal?
- How to convert 20 Hz into microseconds for timing circuits?
- What microsecond value equals 20 cycles per second?
- Is 20 Hz faster or slower than 50,000 microseconds per cycle?
- How do I calculate microseconds from frequency given as 20 Hz?
- Can I get the time period in microseconds from 20 Hz without a calculator?
Conversion Definitions
Hz (Hertz): Hertz is a unit of frequency measuring number of cycles or events per second. It is used in physics and engineering fields for waveforms, signals, and periodic phenomena. One Hz means one complete cycle occurs every second.
Microseconds (μs): Microseconds is a unit of time equal to one millionth of a second (10⁻⁶ seconds). It is used for measuring extremely short durations in electronics, computing, and scientific experiments where timing precision is critical.
Conversion FAQs
Why can’t frequency be negative when converting to microseconds?
Frequency represents how many times something happens in a second, so it can’t be negative. Negative values doesn’t have physical meaning when calculating period time, thus conversion to microseconds is undefined for negative frequency.
What happens if frequency is zero during conversion?
If frequency is zero, the period becomes division by zero, which is undefined mathematically. Zero frequency means no cycles per second, so time period can’t be calculated in microseconds.
Can I use this conversion for non-sinusoidal signals?
The conversion formula applies for any periodic signal to find the time duration of one cycle. However, if the waveform is irregular or non-periodic, using frequency to find period microseconds may be inaccurate or meaningless.
Why multiply by 1,000,000 in the formula?
Because frequency is in cycles per second, the reciprocal gives time in seconds. To express that time in microseconds, you multiply by 1,000,000 since there are one million microseconds in one second.
How precise is the conversion result?
The precision depends on the input frequency’s accuracy and rounding in calculation. The displayed result rounds to four decimal places, which is usually enough for most timing applications but may not suit extremely high precision needs.