Frequency Shifts: Doppler Effect & Wavelength

[BF3MW3]

Frequency changes relative to the observer due to the doppler effect. Does wavelength?

 

[berkeman]

Frequency changes relative to the observer due to the doppler effect. Does wavelength?

The velocity of the source is not the velocity of the sound wave that you hear coming from that source. The velocity of sound in air depends on the air density, etc., but not on the velocity of the source.

So now what do you think is the answer to your question?

 

[BF3MW3]

the wave length becomes shorter ?

 

[berkeman]

the wave length becomes shorter ?

When the sound source is moving towards you, yes. The sound velocity itself stays the same, and the wavelength shrinks and the frequency goes up:

Velocity = Wavelength * Frequency (check the units to be sure that I'm correct on this)

If the souce of the sound is moving away from you, what happens?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_effect

.

 

[rwisz]

Yes, wavelength also changes relative to the observer due to the Doppler effect. The Doppler effect is the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave, such as sound or light, when the source and the observer are in relative motion. This means that as the source of the wave moves towards the observer, the wavelength of the wave appears to decrease, and as the source moves away from the observer, the wavelength appears to increase. This is because the distance between successive wave crests (wavelength) is affected by the relative motion of the source and observer. Therefore, both frequency and wavelength are impacted by the Doppler effect. This phenomenon is important in various fields of science, such as astronomy, where it is used to study the motion of celestial objects, and in medical imaging, where it is used to measure blood flow in the body.