Doppler effect with moving medium but no relative motion

In summary, the use of the Doppler effect with sound waves depends on the relative motion between the observer and the source. If there is no relative motion, there is no Doppler effect. However, if the medium is moving, the speed of sound will change but the frequency of the wave will not. In the case of an exercise involving an observer and source moving with respect to a still medium, the solution given may be incorrect as it does not take into account the isotropy of wave propagation. The correct solution can be obtained by applying the standard Doppler formulas.
  • #1
Soren4
128
2
I would like to be sure about one case of the use of Doppler effect with sound waves.

If the medium (in the case of sound air) is moving, but there is no relative motion between the observer and the source there is no Doppler effect at all. (And the absence of relative motion is frame-indipendent)

So imagine we have source and observer steady relative to ground and air moving. The speed of sound in frame of reference of the ground changes, but this does not mean that frequency of the wave changes, just that it wavelenght is different. So in such case frequency does not change at all, but, ##v_{sound}## changes. And this imply that ##\lambda## changes too.

Is all of this correct, or is there something conceptually wrong?

I'm a bit confused because I found a similar situation in a exercise, which I write here.

A guitar player is playing in front of crowd. There is wind blowing at speed ##v## from the stage to the crowd. If the frequency of sound waves is ##f## what is the frequency perceived by the crowd?

If all I said is correct then there should not be any change in frequency, nevertheless in the solution of this exercise I found this $$f'=f(\frac{c+v}{v})$$ So it is interpreted as the crowd comes closer to the source.

I think this resolution is wrong, because it contradicts what said above.

I would really appreciate any suggestion
 
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  • #2
Why is there ##c## ? What does light have to do in this case?
 
  • #3
Why don't take it simple? You cannot experience the Doppler-effect inside an ambulance.
 
  • #4
Soren4 said:
I'm a bit confused because I found a similar situation in a exercise, which I write here.

A guitar player is playing in front of crowd. There is wind blowing at speed ##v## from the stage to the crowd. If the frequency of sound waves is ##f## what is the frequency perceived by the crowd?

If all I said is correct then there should not be any change in frequency, nevertheless in the solution of this exercise I found this $$f'=f(\frac{c+v}{v})$$ So it is interpreted as the crowd comes closer to the source.

I think this resolution is wrong, because it contradicts what said above.
Where did you get this exercise and solution? I agree with you: The solution is incorrect.
 
  • #5
I think the wind breaks the isotropy in the wave propagation.
 
  • #6
DaTario said:
I think the wind breaks the isotropy in the wave propagation.
Not sure what you mean. Have you done the problem? (I think it's easiest to apply the equations in the frame of the moving air.)
 
  • #7
Doc Al said:
Not sure what you mean. Have you done the problem? (I think it's easiest to apply the equations in the frame of the moving air.)
I mean that, in the reference frame of the source, it seems correct to say that the wave propagates with different velocities in opposite directions which are not perpendicular to the wind´s direction.

I am trying to think as in the problem of the boat going up and down the river, given that the boat can only travel with fixed velocity in relation to the water.

Best Regards,
DaTario

P.S.: BTW, I believe the solution is correct.
 
  • #8
DaTario said:
I mean that, in the reference frame of the source, it seems correct to say that the wave propagates with different velocities in opposite directions which are not perpendicular to the wind´s direction.
That's certainly true.

DaTario said:
I am trying to think as in the problem of the boat going up and down the river, given that the boat can only travel with fixed velocity in relation to the water.
OK, but I don't see the relevance to the Doppler problem.

DaTario said:
P.S.: BTW, I believe the solution is correct.
Did you apply the standard Doppler formulas?
 
  • #9
Doc Al said:
OK, but I don't see the relevance to the Doppler problem.

Consider the two sections of a given spherical crest emitted by the source at rest, the first one going toward the observer and the other in the opposite direction. As the observer moves toward the source he sees each one with different velocities.

Doc Al said:
Did you apply the standard Doppler formulas?
 
  • #10
DaTario said:
Consider the two sections of a given spherical crest emitted by the source at rest, the first one going toward the observer and the other in the opposite direction. As the observer moves toward the source he sees each one with different velocities.
OK, but I still don't see the relevance. (Only the sound heading toward the observer counts here.)

Try this: The air is still, but the observer and source both move in the same direction with speed v (with respect to the air). How will the observed frequency compare to the source frequency?
 
  • #11
Doc Al said:
OK, but I still don't see the relevance. (Only the sound heading toward the observer counts here.)

Try this: The air is still, but the observer and source both move in the same direction with speed v (with respect to the air). How will the observed frequency compare to the source frequency?
It must be:
## f_o = f_s \frac{v-u_o}{v - u_s} = f_s \frac{v-u}{v - u} = f_s##

It was a nice shot in the discussion, but speaking non locally, we have two different situations. If there were more observers distributed in different positions, all in rest relatively to our first observer, he, our first observer, would have to think carefully in order to infer thar the others are hearing or not the same frequency he is hearing.

Now, let me try to explain my point. I was trying to infer that in the reference frame of the observer, when he is moving toward the source, the isotropy is destroyed for the velocities of the sections of the crest depends on its directions.
 

What is the Doppler effect?

The Doppler effect is the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave due to the relative motion between the source of the wave and the observer.

How does the Doppler effect work with a moving medium but no relative motion?

In this scenario, the medium through which the wave is traveling is moving, but there is no relative motion between the source of the wave and the observer. This means that the frequency and wavelength of the wave will not change, as there is no relative motion to cause a shift.

What is an example of the Doppler effect with a moving medium but no relative motion?

An example of this can be seen with sound waves. If a stationary observer is listening to a siren on an ambulance, the frequency and pitch of the sound will not change as the ambulance passes by. However, if the observer is moving towards or away from the ambulance, the frequency and pitch of the sound will change due to the relative motion between the observer and the source of the sound.

How does the speed of the moving medium affect the Doppler effect?

The speed of the moving medium does not directly affect the Doppler effect. It is the relative motion between the source of the wave and the observer that causes the change in frequency and wavelength.

Can the Doppler effect be observed with light waves?

Yes, the Doppler effect can be observed with light waves. This is known as the optical Doppler effect and is commonly used in astronomical observations to determine the speed and direction of celestial objects.

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