Doppler Effect

Doppler Effect
• It is any apparent change/shift in the frequency
of a source of sound/wave caused by the relative
motion between the source of the sound/wave and
the observer.
• The Doppler effect is a phenomenon observed
whenever the source of waves is moving with
respect to an observer and vice versa.
• The Doppler effect can be described as the
effect produced by a moving source of sound
waves in which there is an apparent upward shift
• in frequency as the observer and the source are
approaching and an apparent downward shift in
frequency when the observer and the source is
receding.
• The Doppler effect can be observed to occur with
all types of waves - most notably water waves,
sound waves, and light waves.
• The Doppler effect is observed because the
distance between the source of sound and the
observer is changing.
• 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.
• If the distance is large, then the waves can be
spread apart; but if the distance is small, the
waves must be compressed into the smaller
• For these reasons, if the source is moving
towards the observer, the observer perceives
sound waves reaching him or her at a more
frequent rate (high pitch).
• If the source is moving away from the observer,
the observer perceives sound waves reaching him
or her at a less frequent rate (low pitch).
• It is important to note that the effect does not
result because of an actual change in the
frequency of the source.
• The source puts out the same frequency; the
observer only perceives a different frequency
• because of the relative motion between them.

• The Doppler effect is a shift in the apparent

or observed frequency and not a shift in the
actual frequency at which the source vibrates.
For example a police car or emergency vehicle was
traveling towards you on the highway. As the car
approached with its siren blasting, the pitch of the
siren sound (a measure of the siren's frequency) was
high; and then suddenly after the car passed by,
the pitch of the siren sound was low.
• For a stationary source (right), the circles are
concentric and spaced λ apart.
• For the moving source (left), the wavefronts ahead
of the source are compressed closer together.
• The distance between wave fronts is the
wavelength.
• Ahead of the moving source, a shorter
wavelength, λ‘ is observed.
• Behind the moving source, the wave fronts are
spread out and hence the observed λ' is greater
than the wavelength λ emitted by a stationary
source with the same frequency.
• The frequency is emitted by the source and λ is
the wavelength in still air when the source is not
moving.
• When the source is moving, it still emits pulses
at frequency , but an observer may hear a
frequency , corresponding to a wavelength
at that observer's position.
• The waves are travelling through air at
speed , so their frequency is , where is the
wavelength.
• In front of the source, the circles are close
together, so . Of course, this means that the
frequency (remember ) will be
• higher: so ahead of the source.
• Behind the source, is increased hence and .
• So the pitch is higher when the source
approaches and lower when it recedes.
Doppler Effect Equations
• is the original frequency and Vwave is the
speed of the wave.
• Doppler effect depends on the direction that
the source and observer are moving.
• How does that enter into this formula?
• If the observer is moving towards the source
of the sound, the frequency should increase.
• If the observer is moving away from the
source, the frequency should decrease.
• We can say that if the observer is moving
towards the source, its velocity is positive, or
greater than zero, while if it is moving away
from the source, its velocity is negative, or
less than zero.

• Alternatively, we can write two formulas, one

for the observer moving towards the source,
and one for moving away from the source.
• Observer moving Towards source: Addition
(OTA)

•;

• Observer move Away from source: Subtraction

(OAS)
•;
• The situation where the source is moving is
actually a bit more difficult to picture.
• In the diagram, the source is the red circle
moving to the right. At periodic points in time,
it sends off a circular wave. Thus, the wave
pattern looks like the following:
• Now imagine you are standing on the green dot
on the right. You can see that the waves are
compressed together.
• The distance between the crests is the
wavelength and so the waves you see will have
a shorter wavelength. A shorter wavelength
will have a higher frequency. So, if the source
is moving towards you, the frequency of the
waves will be higher.
• If you are standing on the left, the waves are
spread out, so the wavelength is longer, and
the frequency is lower.
• As before, we can write down a formula for
the frequency detected by the observer, if we
call the velocity of the source Vs.

• when the source is stationary

• when the source is moving
• Source moving towards observer:

• where is the emitted frequency

is the observed frequency
is the observed wavelength
is the speed of sound waves
is the speed of source of sound
• Source moving away from observer:

•;

• Doppler Effect can generally be used to

determine the motion or speed of an object.
Objects of interest may be the speed of a car
on the highway, the motion of blood flowing
through an artery, the rotation of a galaxy
etc.
Questions
• The predominant frequency of a certain fire
engine is when at rest. What frequency will
an observer moving with a velocity of detect
when moving
• (a) towards the fire engine
• (b) away from it.