Which frequency is larger: 1,500 MHz, or 1.6 GHz? If you were comparing two therapy devices with these frequencies, would your eyes glaze over converting megahertz into gigahertz? I want to accurately understand and convey the healing and harmful effects of EMFs. I wrote this guide to help everyone speak the same EMF language.
Use these instructions to convert frequencies and wavelengths into comparable values. Use these frequency examples to visualize frequencies, to make them more intuitive to you. Then you will be able to compare Red Light Therapy, Pulsed EMF, cell phones, and every other electromagnetic field source. Understand EMF frequencies and wavelengths to make the right therapy and protection choices.
Why There are Different EMF Spectrum Band Names
Below are two graphics of the EMF Spectrum. The first is from Howard University. The second is from NASA.


They do not appear to be describing the same things. They are breaking up the EMF spectrum into different buckets.
This is one of the difficulties of understanding EMFs. The frequencies and wavelengths are the same, but the descriptions of these things are different.
Astronomy, telephony, photobiology, and other sciences use the spectrum in different ways. Each science gives the bands within the spectrum different names.
Our concern is with light therapy and telephone safety. We will use EMF spectrum bands that logically describe these areas of EMFs.
Why Wavelengths are Expressed as Nanometers and as Powers of Ten
Looking at the Howard U EMF spectrum, we see two different wavelength qualifiers. Visible light wavelengths are in nanometers. Non-visible EMF wavelengths are in negative powers of ten.
Visible Band Nanometer Wavelengths
This graphic gives us EMF wavelengths in nanometers. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter.
The graphic gives the other wavelengths in negative powers of ten meters.
How do we compare a 700 nm red frequency wavelength with a 10^-5 infrared wavelength?
Non-Visible Band Exponential Wavelengths
The red wavelength is 700 nm long, or 700 billionths of meter.
It is difficult to compare 700 nm to a power of ten.
I want to compare 700 nm to 10^-5, but I cannot visualize 10^-5.
Let’s turn it into nanometers.
Just as you use an exponent to express many zeros to the left of the decimal point, you use a negative exponent to express zeros to the right of the decimal point.
When you see a negative exponent, you are looking at a fraction of whatever it is you are measuring. In this case, a fraction of a meter.
Here is a shortcut to compare nanometers to nanometers. Convert the negative power of ten to a decimal, and multiply that result by a billion.
Multiply by a billion to get the fraction in nanometers.
Why are we multiplying by a billion? Because our comparison is to a nanometer, which is a billionth of a meter.
If we wanted to compare our result to a centimeter (centi=100), we would multiply our result by one hundred.
Convert 10^-5 Meters to Nanometers
To convert a negative power of ten to a decimal, use this shortcut:
- Start with zero and a decimal:
- Reverse the negative exponent to a positive value: N
- Subtract 1 from that result: N-1
- Use this new result to be the number of zeros to the right of the decimal point: (N-1 zeros)
- Add a 1 at the end: 0.(N-1 zeros)1
To convert 10^-5 Meters to Nanometers:
- Start with zero and a decimal:
- Reverse the negative exponent to a positive value: 5
- Subtract 1 from the previous answer: 4
- Add the new result to be the number of zeros to the right of the decimal: 0000
- Add a 1 and the end: 00001
- Multiply by a billion: 10,000
- 10^-5 meters is 10,000 nanometers
Once you see the pattern, it is easy to take a negative power of ten and turn it into a decimal.
To Convert 10^-1 Meters to Nanometers:
- start with
- reverse exponent: 1
- subtract 1: 0
- Add zero zeros to the right of the decimal:
- Add a one at the end: 1
- Multiply by a billion: 100,000,000
- 10^-1 meters is one hundred million nm
To Convert 10^-2 Meters to Nanometers:
- start with
- reverse exponent: 2
- subtract 1: 1
- Add one zero to the right of the decimal: 0
- Add a one at the end: 01
- Multiply by a billion: 10,000,000
- 10^-2 meters is 10 million nanometers
Why Frequencies are in Hz and in Powers of Ten
Look at the frequencies in our EMF spectrum graphic.
Gamma is 10^20 Hz. Radio is 10^8 Hz.
How do we read these numbers?
In Which EMF Band is the 5G Network?
To place 5G in the EMF spectrum,, find 10 billion Hz and 100 billion Hz on the graph.
The 5G network operates at 28 GHz and 39 GHz.
I’m sure that they are somewhere in the 10^8 to 10^20 frequencies in the EMF spectrum.
But where?
In Which EMF Band is Your Wireless Router?
Your wireless router probably runs at 2.4 GHz.
I do not know where that is on the EMF spectrum that ranges from 10^8 to 10^20.
The graphic expresses frequencies in exponents.
We need normal values.
To place 2.4 GHz in the EMF spectrum, find 1 billion and 10 billion on the EMF graph.
Use an Order of Magnitude Prefix
The Hertz shorthand prefixes make it easy to discuss large numbers in a shorthand way.
Each new prefix is one order of magnitude higher than the previous one.
A kHz is one thousand times greater than a Hz.
A MHz is one thousand times greater than a kHz.
- a Hertz (Hz) is one cycle per second
- a kilohertz (kHz) is a thousand cycles per second
- 1 megahertz (MHz) is a million cycles per second
- 1 gigahertz (GHz) is a billion cycles per second
- 1 terahertz (THz) is a trillion cycles per second
- 1 petahertz (PHz) is a quadrillion cycles per second
Convert an Exponent Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
To convert an exponent Hertz, to a prefix Hertz:
- calculate the exponent
- Find the closest order of magnitude for the result, one that is equal to or less than the result, but not greater
- Divide the result by the order of magnitude
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result
Example: Convert 10^3 Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
- calculate the exponent: 10^3 is 10 x 10 (100) x 10 (1,000): 1,000
- find the prefix that matches the order of magnitude: kilo (1,000)
- divide the result (1,000) by the order of magnitude (1,000): 1
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result: 1 kHz
- 10^3 Hertz is 1 kHz
10^3 Hz is 1 kHz
Example: Convert 10^4 Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
- calculate the exponent: 10^4 is 10 x 10 (100) x 10 (1,000) x 10 (10,000): 10,000
- find the prefix that matches the order of magnitude: kilo (1,000)
- divide the result (10,000) by the order of magnitude (1,000): 10
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result: 10 kHz
10^4 is 10 kHz
Example: Convert 10^5 Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
- calculate the exponent: 10^5 is 10 x 10 (100) x 10 (1,000) x 10 (10,000) x 10 (100,000): 100,000
- find the prefix that matches the order of magnitude: kilo (1,000)
- divide the result (100,000) by the order of magnitude (1,000): 100
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result: 100 kHz
10^5 is 100 kHz
Example: Convert 10^6 Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
- calculate the exponent: 10^6 is 10 x 10 (100) x 10 (1,000) x 10 (10,000) x 10 (100,000) x 10 (1,000,000): 1,000,000
- find the prefix that matches the order of magnitude: mega (1,000,000)
- divide the result (1,000,000) by the order of magnitude (1,000,000,): 1
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result: 1 MHz
10^6 is 1 MHz
Example: Convert 10^7 Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
- calculate the exponent: 10^7 is 10 x 10 (100) x 10 (1,000) x 10 (10,000) x 10 (100,000) x 10 (1,000,000) x 10 (10,000,000): 10,000,000
- find the prefix that matches the order of magnitude: mega (1,000,000)
- divide the result (10,000,000) by the order of magnitude (1,000,000,): 10
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result: 10 MHz
10^7 Hz is 10 MHz
Example: Convert 10^8 Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
- calculate the exponent: 10^8 is 10 x 10 (100) x 10 (1,000) x 10 (10,000) x 10 (100,000) x 10 (1,000,000) x 10 (10,000,000) x 10 (100,000,000): 100,000,000
- find the prefix that matches the order of magnitude: mega (1,000,000)
- divide the result (100,000,000) by the order of magnitude (1,000,000,): 100
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result: 100 MHz
10^8 Hz is 100 MHz
Example: Convert 10^9 Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
- calculate the exponent: 10^9 is 10 x 10 (100) x 10 (1,000) x 10 (10,000) x 10 (100,000) x 10 (1,000,000) x 10 (10,000,000) x 10 (100,000,000) x 10 (1,000,000,000): 1,000,000,000
- find the prefix that matches the order of magnitude: giga (1,000,000,000)
- divide the result (1,000,000,000) by the order of magnitude (1,000,000,000,): 1
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result: 1 GHz
10^9 Hz is 1 GHz
Example: Convert 10^10 Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
- calculate the exponent: 10^9 is 10 x 10 (100) x 10 (1,000) x 10 (10,000) x 10 (100,000) x 10 (1,000,000) x 10 (10,000,000) x 10 (100,000,000) x 10 (1,000,000,000) x 10 (10,000,000,000: 10,000,000,000
- find the prefix that matches the order of magnitude: giga (1,000,000,000)
- divide the result (10,000,000,000) by the order of magnitude (1,000,000,000,000): 10
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result: 10 GHz
10^10 Hz is 10 GHz
2.4 GHz is between 10^9 Hz and 10^10 Hz
Now we know where 2.4 GHz is in the EMF spectrum. 10 to the ninth is 1 GHz. 10 to the tenth is 10 GHz. Our router frequency is 2.4 GHz. The router is in the range between 10^9 and 10^10. Look at the graphic. 2.4 GHz is in the Microwave band of the EMF Spectrum.
A 2.4 GHz router emits electromagnetic frequencies between 1 and 10 billion, or 1 GHz and 10 GHz, or 10^9 Hz and 10^10 Hz.
Example: Convert 10^11 Hertz to a Prefix Hertz
- calculate the exponent: 10^9 is 10 x 10 (100) x 10 (1,000) x 10 (10,000) x 10 (100,000) x 10 (1,000,000) x 10 (10,000,000) x 10 (100,000,000) x 10 (1,000,000,000) x 10 (10,000,000,000) x 10 (100,000,000,000): 100,000,000,000
- find the prefix that matches the order of magnitude: giga (1,000,000,000)
- divide the result (10,000,000,000) by the order of magnitude (1,000,000,000,): 10
- Add the order of magnitude Hz prefix after the result: 100 GHz
10^11 Hz is 100 GHz
28 GHz and 39 GHz are between 10^10 Hz and 10^11 Hz
Now we know where 5G frequencies are in the EMF spectrum. They are between 10 GHz and 100 GHz. Therefore they are between 10^10 and 10^11 Hertz in the spectrum.
5G emits frequencies at 28 GHz and 39 GHz. These are between 10 billion and 100 billion Hz, or between 10 Ghz and 100 GHz, or between 10^10 Hz and 10^11 Hz.
Find the Radio Spectrum
Another problem you will run into understanding the EMF spectrum: different sciences divide of EM into different categories.
We just calculated that 2.4 GHz had to be in the microwave spectrum, based on the Howard University EMF spectrum graphic above.
Where is 2.4 GHz on this NASA EMF Spectrum graphic?
You do not need to transform the exponents. Look between 1 GHz and 10 GHz.
Which range is this? It’s the Super High Frequency (SHF) EMF range.
Why is this not the microwave range?
NASA uses fields for astronomy.
Because EMF Channel is concerned with telecommunication devices, we are using the EMF Spectrum broken up for telephony and light therapy devices.
You can call 2.4 GHz a “super high frequency,” but that will just confuse the issue.
Notice that in the NASA graphic, the “Radio Spectrum” is between 1 kHz and 100 GHz.
In the Howard U. graphic, the Radio Spectrum is about 10^6 and 10^10 (1 MHz to 10 GHz).
The sad fact is that you cannot depend on EMF spectrum diagrams to give you the EMF picture.
Use the frequencies, wavelengths and energies to study light and phone devices, but not the EMF spectrum band names.
What Happens in the Electromagnetic Spectrum
We cannot depend on the EMF spectrum band names, so how do we understand what happens in the electromagnetic field world?
Now we will look at examples of what you will find at various frequencies.
The hope is to make the EMF spectrum more intuitive.
Did you know that the earth has an electromagnetic frequency? It is one of the human brainwaves as well. American electricity transmits at 60 Hz. Our brains, the earth, and fabricated electric transmission all operate within 60 Hz (at the most) of one another.
Both cell phones and long distance land-to-submarine communications use frequencies in the kilohertz range. The thousand hertz range contains popular communication frequencies.
Quadrillion and quintillion frequency waves are so powerful that they knock electrons out of orbit. These “ionizing” frequencies knock electrons out of biological DNA, causing illness and death.
From this Frequency | To this Frequency | Example EMFs in this Range |
0 Hz | 0 Hz | |
0.3 Hz | 300 Hz |
|
1 Hz | 4 Hz | |
3 Hz | 30 Hz | |
3 Hz | 60 Hz | |
4 Hz | 8 Hz | |
7.83 Hz | 7.83 Hz | |
8 Hz | 13 Hz | |
12 Hz | 30 Hz |
|
30 Hz | 100 Hz | |
30 Hz | 300 Hz | Super Low Frequency (SLF) radio waves |
60 Hz | 60 Hz | |
300 Hz | 3 kHz | Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) radio waves |
3 kHz | 30 kHz | |
30 kHz | 300 GHz | |
24.8 kHz | 24.8 kHz | |
30 kHz | 300 kHz | |
30 kHz | 300 GHz | |
300 kHz | 3 MHz | |
2.8 MHz | 10 MHz | High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) |
3 MHz | 30 MHz | |
30 MHz | 300 MHz | |
88 MHz | 108 MHz | |
300 MHz | 3 GHz | |
600 MHz | 600 MHz | Verizon 4G LTE cellular networks |
700 MHz | 2.5 GHz | Verizon 5G cellular networks |
850 MHz | 850 MHz | 1G and 2G cellular networks |
902 MHz | 908 MHz | |
1 GHz | 30 GHz | |
1.7 GHz | 1.7 GHz | 4G LTE cellular networks |
1.9 GHz | 1.9 GHz | 1G and 2G cellular networks |
2.1 GHz | 2.1 GHz | Verizon 4G LTE cellular networks |
2.3 GHz | 2.3 GHz | Verizon 4G LTE cellular networks |
2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz | |
2.4 GHz | 2.4385 | |
2.45 GHz | 2.45 GHz | |
2.5 GHz | 2.5 GHz | Verizon 4G LTE cellular networks |
3 GHz | 30 Ghz | |
39 GHz | 39 GHz | Verizon 5G cellular networks |
300 GHz | 3 THz | |
0.3 THz | 20 THz | |
30 THz | 37 THz | |
37 THz | 100 THz | |
100 THz | 214 Thz | |
214 THz | 400 THz | |
300 THz | 3 PHz | |
384 THz | 468 THz | 780 nm - 640 nm |
468 THz | 500 THz | 640 nm - 600 nm |
500 THz | 526 THz | 600 nm - 570 nm |
526 THz | 612 THz | 570 nm - 490 nm |
612 THz | 697 THz | 490 nm - 430 nm |
697 THz | 789 THz | 430 nm - 380 nm |
789 THz | 300 PHz | 380 nm - 1 nm |
300 PHz | 30 EHz | 1 nm - 10 pm |
30 EHz | Infinity |
Hertz Abbreviations and Exponents