A potential mathematical solution to the question: 432 hz or 440 hz?

There exist 14 numbers below fifty that you can multiply up to reach 432 without the use of fractions. The number 440 has not a single whole integer factor below 50, and the only factor that isn't some recurring irrational number is 27 x 27.5 = 440. Compare this with 432 which has a whopping 14 factors in the full list at bottom of this article but they are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18, 24, 27, 36, 48. They even share the number 27 as a common factor.

432 vs 440

Whats better? 432 or 440 hz for the tuning of concert pitch middle A.

It always partly annoyed me to hear that certain frequencies possibly had special significance in the universe.. more so than say other frequencies.

Because frequencies are measured in hertz - cycles per second - and a second aint no thang - it's just an 86400th fraction of a solar day, which by the way is 4 minutes longer than Earth's actual rotation time, which I guess must be about 23 hours 56 minutes:

the time taken by the earth to rotate on its axis relative to the stars, is almost four minutes shorter than the solar day because of the earth's orbital motion.

To put another way, it is not special nature of the universe type thing. It's artbitrary. And it is getting longer each day so I don't see why it would have any special significance. Time is something we project on the universe not the other way round. If anything I'd pick the Schumann resonance of 7.83 Hertz but that's hardly an even number nor needs to be.

The Schumann resonances  are a set of spectrum peaks in the extremely low frequency (ELF) portion of the Earth's electromagnetic field spectrum. Schumann resonances are global electromagnetic resonances, generated and excited by lightning discharges in the cavity formed by the Earth's surface and the ionosphere.

The length of the second is changing: Earth doesn’t rotate uniformly. In fact, it’s rotation decreases being late by 20 millionths of a second every calendar year due to tidal friction caused by the Moon. Currently it is increasing the length of the day by about 2.3 milliseconds per century. A million years from now the day will be about an hour longer.

 

Factor 432 440
1 432 1.018518519
2 216 2.037037037
3 144 3.055555556
4 108 4.074074074
5 86.4 5.092592593
6 72 6.111111111
7 61.71428571 7.12962963
8 54 8.148148148
9 48 9.166666667
10 43.2 10.18518519
11 39.27272727 11.2037037
12 36 12.22222222
13 33.23076923 13.24074074
14 30.85714286 14.25925926
15 28.8 15.27777778
16 27 16.2962963
17 25.41176471 17.31481481
18 24 18.33333333
19 22.73684211 19.35185185
20 21.6 20.37037037
21 20.57142857 21.38888889
22 19.63636364 22.40740741
23 18.7826087 23.42592593
24 18 24.44444444
25 17.28 25.46296296
26 16.61538462 26.48148148
27 16 27.5
28 15.42857143 28.51851852
29 14.89655172 29.53703704
30 14.4 30.55555556
31 13.93548387 31.57407407
32 13.5 32.59259259
33 13.09090909 33.61111111
34 12.70588235 34.62962963
35 12.34285714 35.64814815
36 12 36.66666667
37 11.67567568 37.68518519
38 11.36842105 38.7037037
39 11.07692308 39.72222222
40 10.8 40.74074074
41 10.53658537 41.75925926
42 10.28571429 42.77777778
43 10.04651163 43.7962963
44 9.818181818 44.81481481
45 9.6 45.83333333
46 9.391304348 46.85185185
47 9.191489362 47.87037037
48 9 48.88888889
49 8.816326531 49.90740741
50 8.64 50.92592593

I believe the great Pythagoras was well aware of such matters, hence his choice of 432.

Posted by tomachi on August 22nd, 2018 filed in Music, Science