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Define the Doppler effect.
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Define the Doppler effect.
The Doppler effect is the change in frequency due to the relative motion between a source of sound or light and an observer.
What happens to the frequency of a sound as the source moves away from a stationary observer?
The frequency of a sound appears to decrease as the source moves away from a stationary observer.
True or False?
The Doppler effect only applies to sound waves.
False.
The Doppler effect applies to both sound and electromagnetic waves.
How does the wavelength of a sound change when the source moves towards a stationary observer?
The wavelength of a sound decreases when the source moves towards a stationary observer.
What happens in red shift?
In red shift, electromagnetic waves shift to the red end of the spectrum as they move away from the observer.
What happens in blue shift?
In blue shift, electromagnetic waves shift to the blue end of the spectrum as they move towards the stationary observer.
State the effect of the Doppler shift on light waves moving away from an observer.
The effect of the Doppler shift on light waves moving away from an observer is that the light waves are red-shifted, meaning their wavelength increases and frequency decreases.
Use the Doppler effect to explain the change in pitch of an ambulance siren as it moves towards and then away from a stationary observer.
As the ambulance moves towards a stationary observer:
the siren's pitch gets higher
because the frequency increases
As the ambulance moves away from a stationary observer:
the siren's pitch gets lower
because the frequency decreases
Which phenomenon describes the decrease in wavelength as a source approaches an observer?
Blue shift describes the decrease in wavelength as a source approaches an observer.
State the feature of the diagram that identifies that the car is stationary when sound is emitted from the horn.
The equally spaced wavefronts on the diagram identify that the car is stationary when sound is emitted from the horn.
What feature of the diagram shows that the observer hears a higher pitch as the source moves towards them?
The feature of the diagram that shows that the observer hears a higher pitch as the source moves towards them is that the wavefronts are closer together next to the observer.
Define the Doppler shift for light.
The Doppler shift for light is the change in frequency or wavelength of light due to the relative motion of the source and observer.
What is the equation for Doppler shift in terms of wavelength?
The equation for Doppler shift in terms of wavelength is
Where:
= change in wavelength, measured in metres (m)
= wavelength, measured in metres (m)
= relative velocity of source and observer, measured in metres per second (m s-1)
= the speed of light, measured in metres per second (m s-1)
True or False?
The Doppler shift has units.
False.
The Doppler shift has no units because it is a ratio of two quantities with the same units (wavelength, frequency or speed).
How is the relative speed between the source and a stationary observer calculated?
The relative speed between the source and a stationary observer is calculated using the equation
Where:
= speed of source, measured in metres per second (m s-1)
= speed of observer, measured in metres per second (m s-1)
State the equation for Doppler shift in terms of frequency.
The equation for Doppler shift in terms of frequency is
Where:
= change in frequency, measured in metres (m)
= frequency, measured in metres (m)
= relative velocity of source and observer, measured in metres per second (m s-1)
= the speed of light, measured in metres per second (m s-1)
What is the change in wavelength formula for Doppler shift?
The change in wavelength formula for Doppler shift is
Where:
= observed wavelength from the source, measured in metres (m)
= reference (original) wavelength, measured in metres (m)
Which type of Doppler shift takes place when the observed wavelength of light is shorter than the actual wavelength?
Blue shift takes place when the observed wavelength is shorter than the actual wavelength.
What does the symbol represent in the Doppler shift equations?
The symbol represents the speed of light in the Doppler shift equations.
Identify the direction of motion of the light source shown in the diagram.
The direction of motion of the light source shown in the diagram is from left to right
Compare the expansion of the universe to dots on an expanding balloon.
The expansion of the universe compares to dots on an expanding balloon as follows:
As the balloon is inflated, the dots all move away from each other
In the same way, as the rubber stretches when the balloon is inflated, space itself is stretching out between galaxies
Just like the dots, the galaxies move away from each other, however, they themselves do not move
True or False?
The Universe is expanding.
True.
The redshift observed in distant galaxies provides evidence that the Universe is expanding.
What does the positive velocity of a galaxy moving relative to Earth indicate?
The positive velocity of a galaxy moving relative to Earth indicates the galaxy is moving towards the Earth.
What does the negative velocity of a galaxy moving relative to Earth indicate?
The negative velocity of a galaxy indicates that the galaxy is moving away from Earth.
What does a greater redshift in a galaxy's observed spectrum indicate?
A greater redshift in a galaxy's observed spectrum indicates the galaxy is moving away faster and is further from Earth.
How does the expansion of the Universe affect light waves?
The expansion of the Universe affects light waves by stretching them out, shifting them towards the red end of the spectrum.
What is the effect of the Universe expanding on galaxies?
The effect of the Universe expanding on galaxies is that they move away from each other.