- Movie magic at 24 Hz: Almost every film you watch runs at 24 frames per second. That means each second of film shows 24 still images, which our brain blends into smooth motion.
- The 440 Hz standard: It wasn't until 1955 that the ISO declared that the musical note A above middle C should be tuned to 440 Hz. Before that, orchestras tuned to different pitches across Europe.
- Refresh rates and eye strain: A typical computer monitor runs at 60 Hz, meaning it redraws the screen 60 times per second. Higher refresh rates (120 Hz, 144 Hz) can reduce eye fatigue and make scrolling feel buttery smooth.
- Hertz in broadcasting: AM radio uses frequencies in the kilohertz (kHz) range, while FM radio uses megahertz (MHz). The higher frequency of FM allows for better sound quality, which is why music stations tend to be FM.
- Ultrasound and medical imaging: Ultrasound machines use sound waves in the megahertz range (typically 2–18 MHz) to create images of the inside of the body — a medical marvel that relies entirely on the physics of frequency.
Hertz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI) and is defined as one cycle per second. Named after the German physicist Heinrich Hertz, the unit measures how many times a periodic event occurs in a second. From the refresh rate on your screen to the pitch of your favorite song, hertz is all around us — and in the world of entertainment, it plays a surprisingly big role.
In movies, the standard frame rate has long been 24 frames per second (24 Hz), giving cinema its classic look. But with modern televisions offering 60 Hz, 120 Hz or even 240 Hz refresh rates, motion can appear much smoother — sometimes too smooth, in what's known as the "soap opera effect." Sound, meanwhile, is all about frequencies: human hearing typically ranges from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, and the note A above middle C is tuned to a crisp 440 Hz. In gaming, a higher refresh rate display can give competitive players an edge because the screen updates faster, reducing motion blur.
At Viraly Feeds, we love digging into how these concepts show up in pop culture — from twisted movie trivia to surprising facts about sound and vision. Scroll down to explore our archive of articles that touch on hertz in entertaining and unexpected ways.
Did You Know? Hertz in Everyday Entertainment
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