Question

The frequencies of musical notes (measured in cycles per second) form a geometric sequence. Middle C has a frequency of 256, and the C that is an octave higher has a frequency of 512. Find the frequency of C four octaves below middle C.

Answer 1

Each octave increases the frequency by a factor of 2, ergo the geometric sequence. That said, if middle C has a frequency of 256 cps (cycles per second) the next lower pitch, bass C, would have a frequency of 128 cps. Low C, the next one, would have a cps of 64. Next would be C2, which would be 32 cps. Finally, C1 (the requested note) would be 16 cps.

Answer 2

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