Science cluster

Optics, Light & Sound Calculators

Calculate lenses, refraction, diffraction, and light exposure, along with acoustics, sound levels, and resonance.

Top calculators

A short starting set for the most common optics, light & sound calculators workflows.

Gaussian Beam Waist Calculator | Spot Size, Divergence & Rayleigh Range

Free Gaussian beam waist calculator for laser optics. Compute Gaussian beam radius w(z), divergence half-angle, and Rayleigh range from wavelength, waist radius, and propagation distance.

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Underwater Acoustic Communication Range Calculator

Solve the sonar equation for underwater modem range using Francois-Garrison absorption, spherical or cylindrical spreading, noise bandwidth and a frequency sweep.

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Laser Cavity Mode Calculator - Free Spectral Range from Length and Index

Calculate the free spectral range and longitudinal mode spacing of a laser cavity from its length and refractive index.

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Helmholtz Resonator Frequency Calculator for Bottles, Ports, and Chambers

Estimate the resonant frequency of a bottle, port, or acoustic chamber from neck diameter, neck length, cavity volume, and sound speed.

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Lens Maker's Equation Calculator - Optical Design Tool

Compute thin-lens focal length with the Lens Maker’s equation from refractive index and surface radii in meters, with sign-convention guidance and examples.

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LED Lumen & Wattage Equivalence Calculator

Convert lumens to LED, CFL, and incandescent watts using the DOE lumen equivalence pairs, then compare annual running cost and 10-year replacement savings.

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Thorp Underwater Acoustic Transmission Loss Calculator

Calculate underwater acoustic transmission loss from range, frequency, and spherical or cylindrical spreading, with Thorp seawater absorption in dB/km.

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Lensmaker Equation Calculator: Focal Length, Curvature and Thickness

Solve the thin- or thick-lens lensmaker equation for focal length, refractive index, center thickness, or signed surface radii using consistent length units.

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Browse 21 calculators matched to this topic, or return to the Science category.

Astrophotography Exposure Time Calculator for the 500 Rule

Estimate a practical astrophotography shutter speed with the 500 Rule. Enter focal length and crop factor to see how long you can expose before stars begin to trail.

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Binaural Beat Frequency Calculator - Calculate Left and Right Ear Tones

Calculate the left and right headphone frequencies that produce a selected binaural beat around your chosen center frequency.

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Brewster’s Angle Calculator for Refractive-Index Interfaces

Calculate Brewster’s angle from the refractive indices of two media and, at an optional incidence angle, compare s- and p-polarized Fresnel reflectance.

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Color Temperature Converter | Kelvin, Mired & RGB Preview

Convert a lighting color temperature in kelvin to mired and an approximate RGB preview for white-balance comparisons, color-correction planning, and fixture matching.

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Decibel Level Addition Calculator for dB, dBA and dBC

Add independent or coherent decibel levels, subtract background noise, compare source contributions and export a detailed sound-level calculation.

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Free Space Optical Link Budget Calculator | FSO Received Power & Margin

Calculate free-space optical received power and link margin from transmit power, aperture diameters, wavelength, range, atmospheric loss, pointing loss, and receiver sensitivity.

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Fresnel Zone Calculator | Clearance, Earth Bulge and 60% Rule

Compute Fresnel zone radius, the ITU-R P.530 60% clearance target, earth bulge from the k-factor and knife-edge diffraction loss at any point on a radio link.

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Gaussian Beam Waist Calculator | Spot Size, Divergence & Rayleigh Range

Free Gaussian beam waist calculator for laser optics. Compute Gaussian beam radius w(z), divergence half-angle, and Rayleigh range from wavelength, waist radius, and propagation distance.

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Helmholtz Resonator Frequency Calculator for Bottles, Ports, and Chambers

Estimate the resonant frequency of a bottle, port, or acoustic chamber from neck diameter, neck length, cavity volume, and sound speed.

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Laser Cavity Mode Calculator - Free Spectral Range from Length and Index

Calculate the free spectral range and longitudinal mode spacing of a laser cavity from its length and refractive index.

laser cavity mode calculator free spectral range FSR longitudinal mode TEM

LED Lumen & Wattage Equivalence Calculator

Convert lumens to LED, CFL, and incandescent watts using the DOE lumen equivalence pairs, then compare annual running cost and 10-year replacement savings.

LED bulb calculator lumen to watt converter LED equivalent incandescent replacement energy efficient lighting

Lens Maker's Equation Calculator - Optical Design Tool

Compute thin-lens focal length with the Lens Maker’s equation from refractive index and surface radii in meters, with sign-convention guidance and examples.

lens maker's equation calculator focal length optics Example: 50 mm = 0.05 m. and focal length

Lensmaker Equation Calculator: Focal Length, Curvature and Thickness

Solve the thin- or thick-lens lensmaker equation for focal length, refractive index, center thickness, or signed surface radii using consistent length units.

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Lighting Footcandle Calculator - Estimate Room Brightness from Lumens

Estimate room footcandles from total lumens and floor area, and work backward from a target brightness level to plan lighting more confidently.

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Organ Pipe Resonance Calculator | Open and Stopped Pipe Harmonics

Calculate ideal open and stopped organ-pipe harmonics from air-column length, temperature, and the number of resonances to display.

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Room Acoustic Mode Frequency Calculator for Rectangular Rooms

Estimate the first axial room-mode frequencies from a room's length, width, and height to identify bass buildup and compare layout options before you place speakers or treatment.

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Shabbat Candle Lighting and Havdalah Calculator for a Date and Location

Estimate Friday candle lighting and Saturday havdalah from latitude, longitude, date, and UTC offset with a sunset-based Shabbat schedule.

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Sound Level Addition Calculator - Combine Multiple Decibel Levels

Use this Sound Level Addition Calculator to combine up to five independent decibel levels. Learn why dB values do not add directly, see the intensity formula in MathML, and follow a worked example for interpreting the total sound level.

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Thorp Underwater Acoustic Transmission Loss Calculator

Calculate underwater acoustic transmission loss from range, frequency, and spherical or cylindrical spreading, with Thorp seawater absorption in dB/km.

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Underwater Acoustic Communication Range Calculator

Solve the sonar equation for underwater modem range using Francois-Garrison absorption, spherical or cylindrical spreading, noise bandwidth and a frequency sweep.

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Waveguide Cutoff Frequency Calculator for Rectangular and Circular Guides

Calculate TE and TM cutoff frequency for rectangular or circular waveguides, including dielectric fill, guide wavelength, propagation state and low-order mode spectrum.

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