What This Calculator Does
Particle velocity describes how fast a point in a vibrating medium (a molecule of air carrying a sound wave, or a point on the ground during seismic vibration) moves back and forth as the wave passes, as opposed to the speed of the wave itself.
The Formula
For simple harmonic motion, the peak particle velocity is v_peak = 2π × f × A, where f is the oscillation frequency and A is the displacement amplitude. The RMS particle velocity is the peak value divided by √2, which is useful for comparing against vibration or noise standards that reference RMS levels.
This calculator assumes idealized single-frequency sinusoidal motion. Real-world vibration and acoustic signals are often more complex and may require spectral analysis. Provided for general educational and planning purposes.