The Doppler Effect Free Essay, Term Paper and Book Report
The Doppler Effect was observed for the first time in the mid-nineteenth century. Austrian physicist J.C. Doppler hypothesized that the frequency of acoustic (sound) waves from a moving source would increase as they approached an observer and decrease as they moved away. This process is called a frequency shift and is known as the Doppler effect. The fire truck siren is emitting sound waves of a certain frequency, or wavelength. Note that the frequency of a wave is inversely proportional to its wavelength. When the siren is moving relative to the observer, the frequency or wavelength is shifted. If the siren and observer are getting closer to each other, the frequency is shifted higher (or the wavelength is shifted shorter). If the siren and observer are moving away from each other, the frequency is shifted lower (or the wavelength is shifter longer).
In 1842, Christian Doppler pointed out that the same thing happens with light waves. In astronomy, we study the light (and its spectra) coming from stars. If the spectral lines are shifted, then we know that the star and earth are mov......
Word Count: 1717
Page Count: 6.8 (250 words a page / double spaced)
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