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The Doppler effect is a phenomenon

observed whenever the source of


waves is moving with respect to an
observer.
The Doppler Effect
The Doppler effect can be
described as the effect produced
by a moving source of waves in
which there is an apparent upward
shift in frequency for the observer
and the source are approaching
and an apparent downward shift in
frequency when the observer and
the source is receding.

Doppler Effect Explained
When the source of sound and a listener
are moving relative to each other, the
frequency of the sound heard by the
listener is different from the true frequency
f of the source. The frequency heard by
the listener is called the apparent
frequency f. This is called the Doppler
Effect, a phenomenon first described by
the 19
th
century Austrian physicist
Christian Doppler.

Macromedia Presentation
Doppler Effect
If the source and the observer are approaching, then the
distance is decreasing and if the source and the
observer are receding, then the distance is increasing.
The source of sound always emits the same frequency.
Therefore, for the same period of time, the same number of
waves must fit between the source and the observer.

Shock Waves and Sonic Booms
If the source actually moves at the
same speed as or faster than the
wave itself can move, a different
phenomenon is observed.
If a moving source of sound moves at
the same speed as sound, then the
source will always be at the leading
edge of the waves that it produces.
The diagram at the right
depicts snapshots in time of a
variety of wavefronts produced
by an aircraft that is moving at
the same speed as sound. The
circular lines represent
compressional wavefronts of
the sound waves.
Notice that these circles are
bunched up at the front of the
aircraft. This phenomenon is
known as a shock wave.
Shock waves are also
produced if the aircraft moves
faster than the speed of
sound. If a moving source of
sound moves faster than
sound, the source will always
be ahead of the waves that it
produces. The diagram at the
right depicts snapshots in time
of a variety of wavefronts
produced by an aircraft
A sonic boom occurs as the result of the
piling up of compressional wavefronts
along the conical edge of the wave pattern.
These compressional wavefronts pile up
and interfere to produce a very high-
pressure zone.

When a supersonic aircraft passes overhead,
instead of the compressions and rarefactions
being heard at a separate times, they are
heard at once. This creates a sonic boom.
Sonic Boom
Case 1.Stationary Listener in Front
of the moving Source
f
LF
= f
s

Where:
f
LF
frequency of sound reaching the stationary
listener in front of the moving source
f
s
frequency of sound emitted by the source
V velocity of sound in the uniform medium
Vs velocity of the source of sound
v
v - v
s
Case 2.Stationary Listener Behind
the moving Source
f
LB
= f
s

Where:
f
LB
frequency of sound reaching the stationary
listener behind the moving source
f
s
frequency of sound emitted by the source
V velocity of sound in the uniform medium
Vs velocity of the source of sound
v
v + v
s
Case 3.Moving Listener moving
towards the Stationary Source
f
LC
= f
s

Where:
f
LC
frequency of sound reaching the listener
closing in toward the stationary source
f
s
frequency of sound emitted by the source
V velocity of sound in the uniform medium
V
LC
velocity closing to the source of sound
v + v
LC

v

Case 4.Moving Listener moving
away the Stationary Source
f
LO
= f
s

Where:
f
LO
frequency of sound reaching the listener
opening out of the stationary source
f
s
frequency of sound emitted by the source
V velocity of sound in the uniform medium
V
LO
velocity opening from the source of sound
v - v
LO

v

Case 5. Both Listener and Source of
sound moving relative to one another
f = f
s


Where:
f frequency of sound reaching the listener
f
s
frequency of sound emitted by the source
V velocity of sound in the uniform medium
V
S
velocity of the sound source
V
O
velocity of the observer/listener
v - v
O

v - v
S


+
+





If the source is approaching the listener: the denominator is
v + v
S
.
If the source is receding from the listener: the denominator
is v v
S
.
If the listener is approaching the source of sound: the
numerator is v v
O
.
If the listener is receding the source of sound: the numerator
is v + v
O
.
1. A car moving at 72.0 km/h
is sounding its horn as it
approaches you. If the
actual frequency of the horn
is 5.50 x 10
2
hz, what
frequency will you hear if
the air temperature is
32.0C?
Given: v
s
= 72.0 km/h = 20.0 m/s; T
C
= 32.0C;
f
s
= 5.50 x 10
2
Hz Find: f
LB

Velocity of sound at 32.0C
v = v
0
+ 0.6m/sC T
C

= 331 m/s + 0.61(32.0C)m/sC
= 350.5 m/s

f
LF
= f
s
= =

= 583 Hz
v
v- vs
5.50x 10
2
/s (350.5 m/s) 192775 m/s
2
350.5 m/s 20.0 m/s 330.5 m/s
2. The frequency of a siren
of a fire station is 3.50 x
10
3
Hz. If you are driving
away from the fire house at
a speed of 40.0 km/h,
what frequency will you
hear if the air temperature is
24.0C?
Given: v
s
= 40.0 km/h = 11.1 m/s; T
C
= 24.0C; f
s

= 3.50 x 10
3
Hz Find: f
LF

Velocity of sound at 24.0C
v = v
0
+ 0.6m/sC T
C

= 331 m/s + 0.61(24.0C)m/sC
= 345.6 m/s

f
LF
= f
s
= =

= 3616 Hz
v
v- vs
3.50x 10
3
/s (345.6 m/s) 1209600 m/s
2
334.5 m/s + 11.1 m/s 334.5 m/s
3. A train traveling at 40.0 m/s has
a horn that vibrates at a frequency
of 2.00 x 10
2
Hz. What frequency
of the horns sound will be heard
by a bicycle rider traveling at 10.0
m/s in the same direction as the
train when the cyclist is (a) ahead
of the train and (b) behind the train
after it has passed. Air temperature is
28.0C.
a. Given: v
s
= 40.0 m/s; T
C
= 28.0C;
f
s
= 2.00 x 10
2
Hz; v
o
= -10.0 m/s
Velocity of sound at 28.0C
v = v
0
+ 0.6 m/sC T
C

= 331 m/s + 0.6(28.0C)m/sC = 347.8 m/s

f = f
s
=

=

= 219 Hz
v + v
o
v - v
s
2.00x 10
2
Hz (347.8 m/s - 10.0 m/s)
347.8 m/s - 40.0 m/s
67560 Hz-m/s

307.8 m/s
b. Given: v
s
= -40.0 m/s ; T
C
= 28.0C;
f
s
= 2.00 x 10
2
Hz; v
L
= +10.0 m/s
Velocity of sound at 28.0C
v = v
0
+ 0.6m/sC T
C

= 331 m/s + 0.6(28.0C)m/sC = 347.8 m/s

f = f
s
=

=

= 185 Hz
v + v
O
v - v
s
2.00x 10
2
/s (347.8 m/s +10.0 m/s)
347.8 m/s (- 40.0 m/s)
71560 m/s
2
387.8 m/s
3. A source of ultrasound emits
waves at a frequency of 100,000
Hz. The waves are reflected by
red blood cells moving towards the
source at a speed of 0.30 m/s.
Calculate the frequency of sound
detected at a receiver next to the
source. The speed of sound in
blood is 1500 m/s.
ILLUSTRATION
Blood cell

Ultrasound source
Receiver
Red blood cell
Blood vessel
f
s
f
r

f
a. Given: v
b
= 0.30 m/s; f
s
= 100,000 Hz;
v = 1500 m/s
Find f
r


f
r
= f
s
=

=

= 100,040 Hz
v+v
b
v- v
b
100,000/s (1500 m/s + 0.30 m/s)
1500 m/s 0.30 m/s
150030000 m
1499.7 m/s
SOLVE THE FOLLOWING
PROBLEMS
1. A car horn vibrates at a frequency of
250 Hz. (a) Calculate the frequency a
stationary observer hears as the car
approaches at a speed of 20.0 m/s, (b)
departs at 20 m/s. If the car is stationary,
what frequency is heard (c) by an
observer approaching the car at 20.0 m/s
and (d) by an observer departing from the
car at 20 m/s? Assume the speed of
sound as 340m/s.
30 6 12 15 27 3 0 9 24 18 21
Given: f =250 Hz; (a) v
s
=20.0 m/s
Find: f
LF
= ?
f
LF
= f
s


= 250 Hz

= 265.624 Hz or 266 Hz


v
v - v
s
340m/s
340m/s 20.0 m/s

Given: f =250 Hz; (a) v
s
=20.0 m/s
Find: f
LB
= ?

f
LB
= f
s



= 250 Hz

= 236.11 Hz or 236 Hz


v
v + v
s
340m/s
340m/s + 20.0 m/s

Given: f =250 Hz; (a) v
LC
=20.0 m/s
Find f
LC
= ?

f
LC
= f
s


= 250 Hz

= 264.7 Hz or 265 Hz


340m/s + 20.0 m/s
340m/s

v + v
LC

v

Given: f =250 Hz; (a) v
LO
=20.0 m/s
Find: f
LF
= ?
f
LF
= f
s


= 250 Hz

= 235.29 Hz or 235 Hz


340m/s 20.0 m/s
340m/s

v v
LO

v

2. A car drives at a speed of 25.0 m/s
along a road parallel to the railroad
track. A train traveling at 15.0 m/s
sounds a horn that vibrates 300 Hz.
(a) If the train and car are moving
toward each other, what frequency of
sound is heard by a person in the car?
(b) If the train and car are moving away
from each other, what frequency of
sound is heard in the car? Let v = 340
m/s.
a. Given: f =300 Hz; (a) v
S
=15.0 m/s,
v
C
= 25.0 m/s
f

= f
s


= 300 Hz

= 336.92 Hz or 337 Hz


v

+ v
C
v - v
s
340m/s + 25 m/s
340m/s 15 m/s

Given: f =250 Hz; (b) v
s
=15.0 m/s,
v
C
= -25.0 m/s
f
LB
= f
s


= 300 Hz

= 266.197 Hz or 266 Hz


340m/s 25.0 m/s
340m/s + 15.0 m/s

v

- v
C
v

+ v
S
3. A red blood cell travels at a speed
of 0.40 m/s in a large artery. A
sound with frequency of 100,000 Hz
enters the blood vessel opposite
the direction of flow. Calculate the
frequency of sound reflected from
the cell and detected by a receiver.
The speed of sound in blood is
1500 m/s.
a. Given: v
b
= 0.40 m/s; f
s
= 100,000 Hz;
v = 1500 m/s
Find f
r


f
r
= f
s
=

= =100053.35 Hz

= 100,053 Hz
v+v
b
v- v
b
100,000 /s (1500 m/s + 0.40 m/s)
1500 m/s 0.40 m/s
150030000 m
1499.7 m/s
TRY THIS: (p. 167 of ur txtbk.)
A stationary observer perceives
the frequency of the incoming
train as 310 Hz and 256 Hz
when in front of him and 215
Hz as it passes by. How fast is
the train moving if the
temperature of air is 20.0C
Solution 1
Given: f
S
= 256 Hz; f
LF
= 310 Hz; f
LB
=215 Hz
T
C
= 20.0 C
Find: v
S
For velocity of sound in air:
v = 332 m/s + 0.6 m/sC(20.0C ) = 344 m/s

f
LF
= f
S
f
LF
(v v
S
)= f
S
v

v
v - v
s
f
LF
(v v
S
)= f
S
v
f
LF
v f
LF
v
S
= f
S
v
f
LF
v
S
= f
LF
v - f
S
v

v
S
=
f
LF
v - f
S
v
f
LF

v
S
= =

=

= 59.9 m/s
f
LF
v - f
S
v v (f
LF
- f
S
)
f
LF
f
LF

344 m/s (310/s - 256/s)
310/s
Solution 2
Given: f
S
= 256 Hz; f
LF
= 310 Hz; f
LB
=215 Hz
T
C
= 20.0 C
Find: v
S
For velocity of sound in air:
v = 332 m/s + 0.6 m/sC(20.0C ) = 344 m/s

f
LB
= f
S
f
LB
(v + v
S
)= f
S
v

v
v + v
s
f
LB
(v +v
S
)= f
S
v
f
LB
v + f
LB
v
S
= f
S
v
f
LB
v
S
= f
S
v - f
LB
v

v
S
=
f
S
v - f
LB
v
f
LF

v
S
= =


=

= 65.6 m/s
f
S
v - f
LB
v v (f
S
- f
LB
)
f
LB
f
LB

344 m/s (256/s - 215/s)
215/s
4. At what velocity must
you move relative to the
stoplight so that red light
of wavelength 650nm
emitted by the stoplight
appears to you to be green
with wavelength 510 nm?
4. Given:
red
= 650 nm;
green
= 510 nm,
Find: v

f
red
= = = 4.6 x 10
16
Hz


f
green
= = = 5.9 x 10
16
Hz


f = f



V = =



v 3.0 x 10
8
m/s

red
6.50 x 10
-9
m
v 3.0 x 10
8
m/s

green
5.10 x 10
-9
m
1 + v/c


1 - v/c
c(f
2
- f
2
) 3.0 x 10
8
m/s (5.9 x 10
16
/s - 4.6 x 10
16
/s)
f
2
+ f
2
5.9 x 10
16
/s + 4.6 x 10
16
/s

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