1

Observer
Observer
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DOPPLER EFFECT
The Doppler Effect is the change in observed frequency of a wave motion when
there is relative motion between the source of waves and an observer
For the case of a moving source and stationary observers,

v =speed of wave

vs

(independent of

, dependent on medium in which the

wave travels, is the same regardless of observer or speed of source)

v s=speed of source of wave( v )
f s=frequency of wave emitted by source
s=wavelengthof wave emitted by source
f O =frequency of wave observed by observers 12

(apparent frequency)

O =observed ( apparent )wavelength

O =

v vs
v
s= 1 s s , where + for source receding from observer and for
v
v

( )

source approaching the observer

Fractional change in wavelength,

vs
=
s v

v
v
1
f O=
f s=
f s= 1 s
v vs
v
v
1 s
v

( ) f =(1 vv ) f

f 0 1

vs
f
v s if

v v s , where for source receding from observer and + for

source approaching the observer

Fractional change in frequency,

f vs
fs v

DERIVATION:
Source moving towards stationary observer 1:
Ahead of source, in time t, the waves are squashed in a distance of
fs

waves in a distance of

O =

vtv s t v v s
=
fst
fs

f O=

Using

v
O ,

, i.e

v v s

v
and using f s= s ,

f O=

vtv s t

O =

vv s
s
v

v
f
vv s s

As source approaches, the stationary observer 1 receives waves of frequency

f >f
higher than that emitted by the source ( O s ) .
Source moving away from stationary observer 2:
Behind the source, in time t, the waves are stretched out into a distance of
vt + v s t

O =

Using

, i.e

fs

waves in a distance of

vt +v s t v +v s
=
fst
fs

f O=

v
O

v + vs
v+v

v
s
and using f s= s , O = v s
f O=

v
f
v + vs s

As source recedes, the stationary observer 2 receives waves of frequency lower

f <f
than that emitted by the source ( O s ) .
Doppler Effect with sound
If the source emits sound wave a stationary observer will hear a sound of higher
pitch as the source approaches him. The stationary observer will hear a sound of
lower pitch as the source goes past him and recedes from him.
Doppler Effect with light
The Doppler effect also applies to electromagnetic waves (radio, microwaves
and light) where v =c . The approximation frequency shift formula is given
by

f vs
fs c

as

v s c

If a light source (e.g star, galaxy) is moving away from a stationary observer on
Earth, the light received by the observer will have a lower frequency (longer )
than that emitted by the source (i.e red shifted, light is shifted towards the red of
visible spectrum). Similarly, violet shifted indicates light source is approaching
the Earth. By comparing the emission spectral lines of a moving galaxy with
those from an equivalent light source on Earth, the speed of the galaxy can be
found from the frequency shift formula.
Some applications of Doppler Effect
1) Radar speed traps
2) Measurement of flow of blood cells in an artery
3) Astronomy
Doppler Effect Questions:
Take speed of sound in air = 340 ms-1
1) (a) Describe the Doppler effect.
(b) An observer stands on a bridge above a railway track as a train approaches at a constant
speed of 44 ms-1. The train continuously sounds a whistle which has a frequency of 880 Hz.
Calculate the frequency heard by the observer as the train (i) approaches, (ii) recedes.
(1011 Hz, 779 Hz)
2) (a) A source approaches a stationary observer at 40 ms-1 emitting sound of frequency 500
Hz. What frequency does the observer hear? (ans: 570 Hz)
(b) A source is moving away from a stationary observer at 32 ms-1 emitting sound of
frequency 480 Hz. What frequency does the observer hear? (440 Hz)

3) A trumpeter plays her trumpet while in a car. The note she plays has a frequency of 300 Hz
but you hear a note with a frequency of 280 Hz. (a) is she moving towards or away from you?
(b) how fast is she moving? (23.6 ms-1)
4) A galaxy is moving away from the Earth at 26000 kms-1. Calculate the wavelength and
frequency change of a 650 nm line in its spectrum. (ans: 56.5 nm, 3.7 1013 Hz)
5) An ambulance with a 500 Hz siren approaches and then passes a stationary observer at a
steady speed of 20 ms-1. Calculate the change in frequency of the sound heard by the
observer. (ans: 59 Hz)
6) Find the change in the frequency of a siren from a train that is moving towards you at 50
ms-1. Assume that the emitted frequency is 400 Hz and speed of sound in air is 330 ms-1.
(ans: 71.4 Hz)
7) The highest frequency you can hear is 20 000 Hz. If a plane making a sound of frequency
500 Hz went fast enough, you would not be able to hear it. How fast would the plane have to
go? (ans: 321.8 m s-1)
8) A car travelling at 30 ms-1 emits a sound of frequency 500 Hz. Calculate the frequency of
the sound measured by an observer in front of the car. (ans: 550 Hz)
9) A star emits light of wavelength 650 nm. If the light received at the Earth from this star has
a wavelength of 690 nm, how fast is the star moving away from the Earth? (0.06 c)
10) An atom of hydrogen travelling towards the Earth at 2 106 m s-1 emits light of
wavelength 658 nm. What is the change in wavelength experienced by an observer on the
Earth? (4.38 nm)
11) Consider a source moving away from a stationary observer with speed v . The source
emits waves of speed c

and wavelength

. Explain why the observer will measure a

longer wavelength for the waves received and show that the shift in wavelength
=O s

obeys

v
=
s c

12) A star in another galaxy is traveling away from us at a speed of 5.6106 ms-1. It has a
known absorption spectrum line that should be located at 520 nm on an identical stationary
star. Where is this line located on the moving star? (ans: 530 nm)
13) A train with a 500 Hz siren on is moving at a constant speed of 8 ms-1 in a straight line.
An observer is in front of the train and off its line of motion. Sketch a graph to show how the
frequency of sound heard by the observer changes with distance travelled by the train
14) Hydrogen atoms in a distant galaxy emit light of wavelength 658 nm. The light received
on Earth is measured to have a wavelength of 689 nm. State whether the galaxy is
approaching the Earth or moving away, and calculate the speed of the galaxy.
(1.4 107 ms-1 away from Earth)

15) A spectral line has a wavelength of 500 nm when observed in the laboratory. When
observed from the Earth, the same line emitted by a distant star has an apparent wavelength
of 550 nm. Deduce whether the star is approaching or receding from the Earth and calculate
its velocity. (ans 3 107 ms-1)
16) The sun rotates about its axis with a period of 27 days, emits monochromatic light of
wavelength 0.5 m and has a radius of about 7 108 m. Calculate the shift in frequency of
the light emitted from the Suns equator and received on Earth. (ans: 3.78 GHz)
17) Ultrasound of frequency 5.0 MHz reflected from red blood cells moving in an artery is
found to show a frequency shift of 2.4 kHz. The speed of ultrasound in blood is 1500 ms-1.
(a) Estimate the speed of the blood cells. (b) Suggest why, in practice, a range of frequency
shifts is observed.
18) A whistle emitting sound of frequency 512 Hz is whirled in a horizontal circle of radius
0.50 m at a constant rate of 100 revolutions per minute.
Taking speed of sound in air as 344 ms-1, calculate the maximum and minimum frequencies
heard by a stationary observer standing some distance away. (ans: 520
Hz, 504 Hz)
19) The diagram opposite shows wavefronts produced by a stationary
wave source S. The spacing of the wavefronts is equal to the
wavelength of the waves. The wavefronts travel with speed V .

(a) The source S now moves to the right with speed

1
V
. Draw
2

four successive wavefronts to show the pattern of waves produced by the moving source.
(b) Derive the Doppler formula for the observed frequency

f0

of a sound source, as heard

by a stationary observer, when the source approaches the stationary observer with speed
. The speed of sound is V and the frequency of the sound emitted by the source is f.

The Sun rotates about its centre. The light from one edge of the Sun, as seen by a stationary
observer, shows a Doppler shift of 0.004 nm for light of wavelength 600.000 nm.
(c) Assuming that the Doppler formula for sound may be used for light, estimate the linear
speed of a point on the surface of the Sun due to its rotation. (ans: 2000 m s-1)
20) In a binary star system, two stars orbit a common point and move so that they are always
in diametrically opposite positions. Light from both stars reaches an observer on earth.
Assume that both stars emit light of wavelength 6.58 10-7m.

(a) When the stars are in the position shown in figure 1, the observer on earth measures a
wavelength of light of 6.58 10-7m for both stars. Explain why there is no Doppler shift in
the wavelength

star A

star B

towards the earth

Fig 1
(b) When the stars are in the position shown in figure 2, the earth observer measures two
wavelengths in the received light, 6.50 10-7 m and 6.76 10-7 m. Determine the speed of
each of the stars.
star B

towards the earth

star A
MCQ ON DOPPLER EFFECT

Fig 2

1) A railway engine, travelling at a constant speed on a straight level track is sounding its
whistle. The whistle emits a sound of constant frequency. The engine approaches a station
platform and passes an observer O standing on the platform at time t=T.

Which of the following sketch graphs best shows the variation with time t of the frequency f
of the sound heard by O?

2) A stationary source of sound emits waves of wavelength , period T and

speed V. The source now moves with speed v in a straight line away from
a stationary observer.
What are the wavelength and the speed of the wave as detected by the
observer?
Wavelength

Speed
V +v

vT

A
B

V v

C
D

+vT

3) A police car, sounding its siren, is travelling at constant speed towards

a stationary observer. The sound emitted by the siren is of constant
frequency. The frequency of the sound as heard by the observer is higher
than that heard by the driver of the police car. The reason for this is that
A. the wavefronts received by the observer are closer together than the
wavefronts received by the driver.
B. the speed of the wavefronts is greater as measured by the observer
than by the driver.
C. the speed of the wavefronts is less as measured by the observer than
by the driver.
D. the wavefronts received by the observer are further apart than the
wavefronts received by
the driver.
4) Which of the following is a correct description of the Doppler effect?
A. Change in frequency of light due to motion of the source of light.
B. Change in frequency of light due to relative motion between the source
of light and the
observer.

C. Change in observed frequency of light due to relative motion between

the source of light and the observer.
D. Change in observed frequency of light due to change in velocity of the
source of light.
5) A source S, moving at constant speed, emits a sound of constant
frequency. The source passes by a stationary observer O, as shown below.

Which one of the following shows the variation with time t of the
frequency f observed at O as the source S approaches and passes by the
observer.

6) A sample of hydrogen on Earth emits a spectral line that is measured by

an Earth observer to have wavelength 500 nm. The same spectral line is
emitted by a galactic source that is moving away from Earth at speed of
0.1c. What is the wavelength of the galactic spectral line that will be
measured by the Earth observer?
A. 50 nm

B. 450 nm

C. 550 nm

D. 5000 nm

7) A point source is moving at a constant speed in a straight-line towards

the right and emits sound waves of constant frequency. The speed of the
source is less than the speed of sound. Which of the diagrams correctly
shows the wavefronts emitted by the source?

8) When a train travels towards you sounding its whistle, the pitch of the sound you hear is
different from when the train is at rest. This is because
A. the sound waves are travelling faster toward you.
B. the wavefronts of the sound reaching you are spaced closer together.
C. the wavefronts of the sound reaching you are spaced further apart.
D. the sound frequency emitted by the whistle changes with the speed of the train.
9) A sound emitting source moves along a straight line with speed v relative to an observer at
rest.

The speed of sound relative to the medium is c. The observer measures the speed of sound
emitted by the source as
A. c.
B. c + v.
C. c v.
D. v c.

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10) The diagram below represents the wavefronts

spreading out from a moving source of sound S. The
positions of four observers are also shown. If the
frequency of the source is f, which observer hears a
sound closest in value to this frequency when the
source is at the position shown?