DOPPLER EFFECT

1. Which of the following wave phenomena is associated with blood flow measurements?
A. Polarization
B. Diffraction
C. Refraction
D. Doppler effect

2. A radar speed gun is used to measure the speed of a car. The car is moving with speed v away from
the gun.

The radar emits microwaves of frequency f and speed c. Which of the following is the frequency of
the microwaves measured at the gun after reflection by the car?
2𝑣
A. 𝑓 + ( 𝑓)
𝑐
𝑣
B. 𝑓 + ( 𝑓)
𝑐
2𝑣
C. 𝑓 − ( 𝑓)
𝑐
𝑣
D. 𝑓 − ( 𝑓)
𝑐

3. A man standing by the shore observes sea waves approaching at a frequency of 0.20 Hz. A man on a
boat observes that waves are approaching the boat at a frequency of 0.50 Hz. The speed of the waves
is 2.0 m s–1. Which of the following gives a possible value for the speed of the boat and its direction?
Speed / m s–1 Direction
A. 3.0 away from the shore
B. 3.0 towards the shore
C. 1.2 away from the shore
D. 1.2 towards the shore

4. A source of sound approaches a stationary observer. The speed of the emitted sound and its
wavelength, measured at the source, are v and λ respectively. Which of the following is the wave
speed and the wavelength, as measured by the stationary observer?
Wave speed Wavelength
A. larger than v larger than λ
B. equal to v larger than λ
C. equal to v less than λ
D. larger than v less than λ

5. A source of sound moves directly towards a stationary observer. The frequency of the sound
detected by the observer is different from the source frequency because
A. the loudness of the sound increases as the source moves towards the observer.
B. the apparent wavelength of the sound is longer.
C. the speed of sound relative to the observer is increased.
D. the apparent wavelength of the sound is shorter.
6. During a journey an observer travels at constant speed towards, and then goes beyond, a stationary
emitter of sound.

The frequency of the sound as measured at the emitter is f. The frequency according to the observer
A. is always greater than f.
B. is always equal to f.
C. is always less than f.
D. varies during the journey.

7. A siren at rest emits a sound of frequency f0. The speed of sound in air is v. The siren moves away
from an observer at rest relative to the siren in a straight line with constant speed vs.

The observer measures a frequency lower than f0 because the

A. speed at which the sound moves relative to the observer is v – vs.
B. speed at which the sound moves relative to the observer is vs – v.
𝑣
C. wavelength measured by the observer is smaller by a factor 𝑠.
𝑣
𝑣𝑠
D. wavelength measured by the observer is greater by a factor .
𝑣

8. A sound emitting source moves along a straight line with speed v relative to an observer at rest.
Observer

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

9. 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.
10. A source of sound approaches a stationary observer. The Doppler effect may be described by the
observer as
A. the increase in loudness of the sound.
B. the increase in wavelength of the sound.
C. the increase in frequency of the sound.
D. the increase in relative speed of the sound waves.

11. A source of sound emits waves of wavelength λ, period T and speed v when at rest. The source
moves away from a stationary observer at speed V, relative to the observer. The wavelength of
the sound waves, as measured by the observer is
A. λ + vT.
B. λ – vT.
C. A.
λ +VT. A. B. B.
D. λ – VT.

12. Which one of the following diagrams best represents wavefronts produced by a source of sound of
constant frequency as it moves at constant speed towards a stationary observer at O?
A. A. A. B.
O B.O B.
O O

O O O O

C. C. D. D.

C. C. D. D.

C. D.

O O O O
O O O O
13. 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 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?

14. This question is about the Doppler effect.

A stationary loudspeaker emits sound of frequency of 1000 Hz. Nadine attaches the loudspeaker to a
string. She moves the loudspeaker in a horizontal circle above her head at a speed of 30 m s–1. The
speed of sound in air is 330 m s–1.
An observer is standing well away from Nadine.
(a) Explain why the sound heard by the observer changes regularly. (3)

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 (b) Determine the maximum frequency of the sound heard by the observer. (3)

15. This question is about the Doppler effect.

The sound emitted by a car’s horn has frequency f, as measured by the driver. An observer moves
towards the stationary car at constant speed and measures the frequency of the sound to be f ′.
(a) Explain, using a diagram, any difference between f ′ and f. (3)

(b) The frequency f is 3.00 × 102 Hz. An observer moves towards the stationary car at a constant
speed of 15.0 m s–1. Calculate the observed frequency f ′ of the sound.
The speed of sound in air is 3.30 ×102 m s–1. (2)

16. This question is about the Doppler effect.

A source emits sound of frequency 100 Hz. The speed of sound in air is 330 m s –1.
(a) Calculate the frequency measured by an observer when
(i) the observer is stationary and the source is moving towards the observer at 120 m s –1. [2]

(ii) the source is stationary and the observer is moving towards the source at 120 m s –1. [2]

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 (b) When both source and observer are stationary the wavelength is λ0 and the wave speed is v0.
In the table below, compare the values of measured wavelength and measured wave speed, as
measured by the observer, with respect to λ0 and v0. One of the values is given for you. [3]

Measured wavelength Measured wave speed

Moving source as in (a)(i) less than λ0
Moving observer as in (a)(ii)

17. This question is about the Doppler effect.

The diagram below 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.

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(a) The source S now moves to the right with speed 𝑉. In the space below, draw four successive
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wavefronts to show the pattern of waves produced by the moving source. (3)

(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 v. The speed
of sound is V and the frequency of the sound emitted by the source is f. (3)

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 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. (3)

18. This question is about waves.

Travelling and standing (stationary) waves
(a) State two differences between a travelling wave and a standing (stationary) wave. (2)

(b) In the scale diagram below, plane wavefronts travel from medium 1 to medium 2 across the
boundary AB.

direction of travel

medium 1
A B

medium 2
State and explain in which medium the wavefronts have the greater speed. (3)

𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑚 1

(c) By taking measurements from the diagram, determine the ratio (3)
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑚 2

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(d) To demonstrate the production of a standing wave, Samantha attaches the end B of a length AB
of rubber tubing to a rigid support. She holds the other end A of the tubing, pulls on it slightly
and then shakes the end A in a direction at right angles to AB. At a certain frequency of shaking,
the tubing is seen to form the standing wave pattern shown below.

A B

Explain how this pattern is formed. (5)

(e) The speed v with which energy is propagated in the tubing by a travelling wave depends on the
tension T in the tubing. The relationship between these quantities is
𝑣 = 𝑘√𝑇
where k is a constant.
In an experiment to verify this relationship, the fundamental (first harmonic) frequency f was
measured for different values of tension T.
(i) Explain how the results of this experiment, represented graphically, can be used to verify the
relationship 𝑣 = 𝑘√𝑇 (4)

(ii) In the experiment, the length of the tubing was kept constant at 2.4 m. The fundamental
frequency for a tension of 9.0 N in the tubing was 1.8 Hz. Calculate the numerical value of the
constant k. (3)

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The Doppler effect
(f) A source S emits sound waves at constant frequency. In the diagram below, S is moving at
constant speed in the direction shown, along a straight-line between two stationary observers A
and B.

B A
S

(i) Draw, on the above diagram, three wavefronts representing the waves emitted by S. (2)
(ii) Use your sketch to explain any difference in the frequency of the sound as heard by observer
A and by observer B. (2)