Angular wave number calculator
This angular wave number from wavelength calculator converts a single positive wavelength λ in meters into the angular wave number k used throughout wave optics, acoustics, and Fourier physics.
Run — free
The identity is closed form and universal for progressive monochromatic waves: k equals two pi divided by λ, so the phase of a plane wave advances as kx minus omega t with SI units of radians per meter for k. Ordinary spectroscopic wave number one over λ is returned alongside k for convenience, but the primary product is the angular quantity k equals two pi over λ. Zero and negative wavelengths are rejected because they do not define a physical spatial period for a real traveling wave. The engine is pure deterministic arithmetic—no network calls, no sampling, and no date-dependent shortcuts—so homework checks, lab notebooks, and CI fixtures always agree. Use the free browser widget on this page for quick classwork and design notes, or call the API at $0.002 per successful request when you need reproducible k values inside automation.
How to use it
Enter your values in the form above. The tool checks them before calculating and shows the result on the same page.
Check your inputs
Use the labels and units shown next to each field. If something is missing or outside the allowed range, the page points to the field to fix.
Use it again or automate it
Use the browser tool for individual checks and the API when you need the same capability in an automated workflow.
What you can do with it
Get an answer now
Enter one set of values and see the result without building a spreadsheet or script.
Compare scenarios
Change one value at a time and rerun the calculation to understand what affects the result.
Automate repeated work
Use the API when the same calculation needs to run inside your product or workflow.
FAQ
How do I use this capability?
Complete the fields above and run it on this page. The form highlights anything that needs attention.
For developers — API access
Everything on this page is available programmatically. This section is for teams who want to wire it into their own systems; everyone else can just use the tool above.
API endpoint
Prefer to automate it? One authenticated POST creates the task; the result comes back by webhook or a signed link. The same capability also runs here on the web, by email and from Telegram — and soon from our app too.
Call it from your stack
curl -X POST https://api.kit.forhosting.com/optics/wave-number-from-wavelength \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $KIT_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"wavelength":5e-7}'const res = await fetch("https://api.kit.forhosting.com/optics/wave-number-from-wavelength", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
"Authorization": `Bearer ${process.env.KIT_KEY}`,
"Content-Type": "application/json"
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"wavelength": 5e-7
})
});
const { task_id } = await res.json();import os, requests
res = requests.post(
"https://api.kit.forhosting.com/optics/wave-number-from-wavelength",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['KIT_KEY']}"},
json={
"wavelength": 5e-7
},
)
task_id = res.json()["task_id"]<?php
$res = file_get_contents("https://api.kit.forhosting.com/optics/wave-number-from-wavelength", false, stream_context_create([
"http" => [
"method" => "POST",
"header" => "Authorization: Bearer " . getenv("KIT_KEY") . "\r\nContent-Type: application/json",
"content" => '{"wavelength":5e-7}',
],
]));
$task = json_decode($res, true);body := bytes.NewBufferString(`{"wavelength":5e-7}`)
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", "https://api.kit.forhosting.com/optics/wave-number-from-wavelength", body)
req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+os.Getenv("KIT_KEY"))
req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)Example request
{
"wavelength": 5e-7
}Example response
{
"task_id": "tsk_a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6",
"type": "optics.wave_number_from_wavelength",
"status": "queued",
"_links": {
"result": "/tasks/tsk_…/result"
}
}The API is asynchronous: the call returns a task_id immediately and the result arrives by webhook. Polling is capped at 1 req/s per task.
Pricing
Published price — no tokens, no invented credits. A failed task is never charged.
Errors
| HTTP | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
401 | unauthorized | Missing or invalid API key. |
402 | insufficient_balance | Your balance doesn't cover the task price. |
404 | unknown_type | That task type doesn't exist. |
429 | rate_limited | Too many requests. Use the webhook instead of polling. |