kHz

Kilohertz, abbreviated kHz, is a unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI). It denotes one thousand cycles per second, so 1 kHz equals 1,000 Hz and 1 Hz equals one cycle per second. The prefix kilo- means 10^3, while the hertz measures cycles per second, making kHz a multiple of hertz.

Kilohertz is commonly used in electronics, telecommunications, and signal processing to describe frequencies and timing references that are too fast for practical labeling in hertz but too slow for megahertz. In audio technology, the audible range is roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and many signal-processing tasks in the kilohertz range concern filtering, modulation, and sampling. In radio communications, kHz ranges appear in longwave and medium-wave bands, as well as in timing signals and numerically controlled oscillators that operate below megahertz.

In relation to higher frequency units, 1 MHz equals 1,000 kHz, and 1 Hz equals 1/1000 kHz. While modern digital systems often rely on megahertz or gigahertz clock rates for processors and communication interfaces, kilohertz frequencies remain relevant for certain audio processing tasks, dedicated timing sources, and legacy radio equipment. Kilohertz thus occupies a practical middle ground in the spectrum of frequency units, bridging low-frequency signals and higher-speed electronics.