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Dx
Jun7-03, 04:12 PM
Using the doppler effect: formula: f'=f/(1-V_s/V_0)

A train traveling toward you at 120k/h. the train blows its 400Hz whistle. take the speed of sound to be 340m/s. whats the freq?

my developments so far...
400Hz/(1-(.340/.343ms)

how do i solve the setup is wrong?

dav2008
Jun7-03, 05:21 PM
Originally posted by Dx
Using the doppler effect: formula: f'=f/(1-V_s/V_0)

A train traveling toward you at 120k/h. the train blows its 400Hz whistle. take the speed of sound to be 340m/s. whats the freq?

my developments so far...
400Hz/(1-(.340/.343ms)

how do i solve the setup is wrong?

That should be * not /

HallsofIvy
Jun8-03, 11:46 AM
I have no idea what "how do i solve the setup is wrong?" means- unless you are combining two sentences. Are you related to James Joyce?

However, you would complete the problem by just doing the arithmetic:
From the formula f'=f/(1-V_s/V_0)
you get f'= 440HZ/(1- 210/340) assuming that V_0 is the speed of sound and that V_s is the speed of the source of the sound.
(I might have been inclined to take V_s as the speed of Sound but if V_s> V_0 you get a negative number for f'!)

(you give "400Hz/(1-(.340/.343ms)" I don't know why you have the decimal points nor do I know where you got "343".)

Notice that since V_s and V_0 both have units of speed (m/sec), the units in the fraction V_s/V_0 cancel so that both it and the denominator 1- V_s/V_0 are "dimensionless". f' will have units of
Hz just like f.

I get that V_s/V_0= 120/340= 0.353 (I am taking three significant figures since the speeds are given to three significant figures.),
1- V_s/V_0= 1- 0.353= 0.647 and f'= 440/0.647= 525 Hz.

Dx
Jun8-03, 04:13 PM
<<<I have no idea what "How do i solve? The setup is wrong?" means- unless you are combining two sentences. Are you related to James Joyce? Since we want to be corect here Ivy! [;)]

<<<(you give "400Hz/(1-(.340/.343ms)" I don't know why you have the decimal points nor do I know where you got "343".)

Let me enlighten you that .343 is equal to 343x10^-3m/s which is the spd of sound in air at 20 degrees C. I want you to also be corect since you could be related to Mr Amison my Biology teacher who know absolutely nada about science too.

<<<I get that V_s/V_0= 120/340= 0.353 (I am taking three significant figures since the speeds are given to three significant figures.),
1- V_s/V_0= 1- 0.353= 0.647 and f'= 440/0.647= 525 Hz.

Lastly, H.O.I., sir. I want to say i appreciate your response and help thus far but your answer is 100% incorrect. Thank You! Please don't respond to my threads unless your serious about helping me. Your intentions are sensere and noble but i wanna learn this stuff, ok!

Thanks everyone! BTW...I double checked my formula is correct in the book.
Dx [;)]

dav2008
Jun8-03, 05:25 PM
yeah, my bad..i just saw that division sign and thought that was the problem, but i guess i just learned the formula as multiplying by the reciprocal..instead of your form..