How to Calculate Doppler Effect Frequencies for Moving Objects?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating Doppler Effect frequencies for moving objects, specifically a student with a tuning fork vibrating at 440Hz and a car horn emitting a frequency of 500Hz. For the first scenario, the echo frequency heard by the student is calculated using the formula Freq = [(330-1.2)/(330+1.2)] * 440Hz, resulting in a frequency of approximately 438.5Hz. In the second scenario, the frequency heard by the second car, traveling at 20 m/s, is determined by considering the reflection from a bridge, requiring the application of relative velocity principles.

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  • Understanding of the Doppler Effect
  • Basic knowledge of sound wave properties
  • Familiarity with relative velocity concepts
  • Ability to apply mathematical formulas for frequency calculations
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  • Study the Doppler Effect in detail, including formulas and applications
  • Learn about sound wave propagation and its characteristics
  • Explore relative velocity and its impact on frequency perception
  • Practice solving problems involving moving sources and observers in acoustics
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I've got 2 qns
1)
Student holding a tuning fork vibrating at 440Hz walk away from a wall with a speed of 1.2m/s. What's the freq of the echo the student can hear from the wall? Speed of sound is 330m/s

Can i just use Freq= [(330-1.2)/(330+1.2)] (440Hz) to solve
2) A car traveling at 10m/s sound its horns, which has a freq of 500Hz and this is heard by another car traveling behind the 1st car in the same direction but at a speed of 20 m/s.The sound can also be heard by the 2nd car by the reflection from the bridge ahead. What frequency will the 2nd car hear? Take speed of sound be 340m/s.

Is the frequency they are asking beat freq?
How do i cal. the freq due to the doppler effect? Must i make use of relative velocity?
 
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1) No they don't want the beat frequency, but in this case the walking person is both the source AND the observer (and both source and observer are moving)

2) Same thing; think of the situation as though the observer is the reflection in a mirror attached to the bridge. Use observer direction as it appears in the reflection.
 

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